ghoulish

[goo-lish]

adjective

1. strangely diabolical or cruel; monstrous.

   a ghoulish and questionable sense of humor.

2. showing fascination with death, disease, maiming, etc.; morbid.

   ghoulish curiosity.

3. of, relating to, or like a ghoul or ghouls.

ˈghoulish

/ ˈɡuːlɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or relating to ghouls; morbid or disgusting; unhealthily interested in death

Other Word Forms

• ghoulishly adverb
• ghoulishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ghoulish¹

First recorded in 1835–45; ghoul + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

The backlash against the segment was fierce and immediate, with critics calling Acosta “ghoulish” and “manipulative.”

From Los Angeles Times

It’s impossible to recapture the magic of the first season, but Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ Season 2, starring Jenna Ortega, bristles with its own ghoulish charm.

From Los Angeles Times

But it’s really the performances, casting and artistic flourishes that make “Wednesday” a ghoulish delight.

From Los Angeles Times

The band's official website described Eddie as "a ghoulish yet undeniably handsome and mysterious figure whose tantalizing image would go on to feature on every album and countless t-shirts".

From BBC

Rubio is the first person to hold both roles simultaneously since Henry Kissinger molded Nixon's foreign policy into his own ghoulish image.

From Salon

Related Words

• cruel 
• demonic 
• devilish 
• eerie 
• frightening www.thesaurus.com
• ghastly 
• grim 
• grisly 
• gruesome 
• horrible 
• macabre 
• morbid 
• spooky