ghoul
Americannoun
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an evil demon, originally of Muslim legend, supposed to feed on human beings, and especially to rob graves, prey on corpses, etc.
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a grave robber.
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a person who revels in what is revolting.
noun
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a malevolent spirit or ghost
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a person interested in morbid or disgusting things
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a person who robs graves
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(in Muslim legend) an evil demon thought to eat human bodies, either stolen corpses or children
Etymology
Origin of ghoul
First recorded in 1780–90, ghoul is from the Arabic word ghūl
Explanation
A ghoul is an evil demon, ghost, or fiend. On Halloween, the kids dressed as fairies and pumpkins look cute. The kids dressed as ghouls, with fake blood dripping down their faces and hair matted in knots? Not so cute. The word ghoul originates in the Arabic word “ghul,” which refers to an evil spirit that digs up graves and eats the dead. Some confuse ghoul with the word “gremlin,” but the two are not interchangeable. A gremlin does not gorge on the flesh of the dead; it is more a mischievous imp and troublemaker, famous for causing mechanical difficulties in World War II aircraft.
Vocabulary lists containing ghoul
The Grim Reader: Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween
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English Words Derived from Arabic
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Nine Stories
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Suturing Mary Shelley’s novel to his own 21st century anti-technocrat ferocity, Guillermo del Toro cranked up his ambitions in every element from costumes to cinematography and thrillingly brought his favorite ghoul to life.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
Beetlejuice's sequel sees Keaton reprise his role as the titular chaos-causing ghoul.
From BBC • Aug. 28, 2024
"Anyone that's spent any time in Hollywood can become a ghoul."
From Salon • Aug. 24, 2024
Here were real women operating a coven, not just the minions of a villainous asthmatic ghoul.
From New York Times • Sep. 21, 2022
His comrades laughed and applauded as the ghoul plopped himself down at the nearest feast table.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
