ghoul

American  

[gool] / gul /

noun

• ghouls
  plural

1. an evil demon, originally of Muslim legend, supposed to feed on human beings, and especially to rob graves, prey on corpses, etc.

2. a grave robber.

3. a person who revels in what is revolting.

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ghoul British  

/ ɡuːl /

noun

1. a malevolent spirit or ghost

2. a person interested in morbid or disgusting things

3. a person who robs graves

4. (in Muslim legend) an evil demon thought to eat human bodies, either stolen corpses or children

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ghouls
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ghoul

First recorded in 1780–90, ghoul is from the Arabic word ghūl

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ghoul ghouls

Meanwhile, “Musk” was recently joined in theaters by Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning,” in which Jeremy Strong portrays Zuckerberg as a soulless ghoul prioritizing clicks over user safety.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

Delia is possessed by a ghoul who makes her sing the Caribbean number in the voice of Belafonte while she gyrates with her mortified dinner guests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026

Ever since the ghoul of high inflation was broken in the 1980s, the Federal Reserve has been quick to aid the economy and financial markets during times of trouble.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 2, 2023

The young ghoul hunter led four other Ghostbusters through the library in search of paranormal activity, before capturing a ghost, taking it to West Yorkshire Police and receiving a certificate of thanks from the mayor.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2022

What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron’s, however, wasn’t the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: It was the fact that everybody there seemed to like him.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling

But the pansexual Lestat de Lioncourt transformed them into rebellious, romantic figures, the stuff of adolescent FOMO, as opposed to decaying ghouls.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

However, as the season goes on, "even Rue can't quite make you care about this sorry group of amoral ghouls, who seem to loathe themselves as much as each other", Halls concluded.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026

Others were more sympathetic but still unsettled by what he was doing not only to himself but also to his teenage children, who will have to deal with the ugly reactions of social-media ghouls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

The streets are full of ghouls, masked horrors, and terrifying make-up—also it will be Halloween soon.

From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2025

A couple of black-robbed ghouls had pulled aside one spirit and were frisking him at the security desk.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

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