ghoul

noun

1
: a legendary evil being that robs graves and feeds on corpses
2
: one suggestive of a ghoul
especially : one who shows morbid interest in things considered shocking or repulsive

Examples of ghoul in a Sentence

in Arabic folklore, ghouls could change their shapes but had one unchanging feature: donkey's hooves for feet
Recent Examples on the Web Hello boils and ghouls, welcome to SNL in Review: Halloween edition as stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze hosts Saturday Night Live this week with musical guest Foo Fighters. Usually, episodes like tonight produce sketches that tap into the macabre. Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2023 Things got even spookier when their daughter, Violet (Taissa Farmiga), befriended and fell for resident ghoul Tate Langdon (Evan Peters). Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 16 Jan. 2024 In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), ghouls and pumpkin heads are seen hard at work with hair dryers in an attempt to melt the ice encasing the chanteuse. Shania Russell, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2023 That evening, the ghoul is attracted to a campfire outside a cabin, introducing us to seven young adults staying there. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024 With the help of lightning rings, garlic and Bibles, players were outlasting waves of ghouls and beasts in Vampire Survivors long before the video game was released officially. George Yang, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024 Specifically, from those that seem least human of all: ghouls. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2024 Those shops now get their biggest sales from October ghouls, not December garlands. Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023 There’s a chill in the air, leaves litter the ground, and houses up and down on your street are decked out with ghouls, goblins and all manner of grim tidings. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ghoul.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Arabic ghūl

First Known Use

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ghoul was in 1721

Dictionary Entries Near ghoul

Cite this Entry

“Ghoul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghoul. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ghoul

noun
1
: an evil being of legend that robs graves and feeds on corpses
2
: a person (as a grave robber) whose activities suggest those of a ghoul
ghoulish adjective
ghoulishly adverb
ghoulishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ghoul

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