ghoulish

[goo-lish]

See more synonyms for ghoulish on Thesaurus.com

adjective

strangely diabolical or cruel; monstrous: a ghoulish and questionable sense of humor.
showing fascination with death, disease, maiming, etc.; morbid: ghoulish curiosity.
of, relating to, or like a ghoul or ghouls.

Origin of ghoulish

First recorded in 1835–45; ghoul + -ish¹

Related formsghoul·ish·ly, adverbghoul·ish·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ghoulish

Contemporary Examples

And in the summer months, when shootings soar, the city can be a ghoulish playground for those interested in the macabre.
Chicago’s Real-Life 'Nightcrawler'
Justin Glawe
November 14, 2014
Yesterday afternoon, the "NRA Women" Twitter account sent out a simple and yet ghoulish message to its followers.
9-Year Old With an Uzi? America Is Tougher on Toys Than Guns
Cliff Schecter
August 28, 2014
Typical of most old cemeteries, eerie carved-stone Angels of Death and other ghoulish figures adorn many of the tombstones.
Welcome to the Most Haunted Graveyard in the World. Safety Not Guaranteed.
Nina Strochlic
October 31, 2013
They cast a ghoulish light on this roughly 8-by-10-foot room, where the family of eight struggles to survive.
Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Bordering on Disaster
Jamie Dettmer
November 11, 2012
It is also gruesome, ghoulish, and appalling—and utterly fascinating.
Bill James Wants Us to Learn to Love Crime Stories
Malcolm Jones
June 20, 2011

Historical Examples

It is ghoulish work, but they have become as matter of fact as can be.
The Challenge of the Dead
Stephen Graham
The appearance of the whole thing was repulsive, ghastly, ghoulish.
The Devil-Tree of El Dorado
Frank Aubrey
The Recoleta is a strange cemetery, bizarre, ghoulish, tawdry.
The Amazing Argentine
John Foster Fraser
The wasp, in trembling, ghoulish ecstasy, devoured it as it appeared.
The Forgotten Planet
Murray Leinster
His spirit was too lofty to exist in this blood-soaked hell of ghoulish czars.
Comrade Kropotkin
Victor Robinson

British Dictionary definitions for ghoulish

ghoulish

adjective

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

Derived Formsghoulishly, adverbghoulishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ghoulish

adj.

1840, from ghoul + -ish. Related: Ghoulishly; ghoulishness.

ghoulish

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}ghoulish

Related Words

Examples from the Web for ghoulish

Contemporary Examples

And in the summer months, when shootings soar, the city can be a ghoulish playground for those interested in the macabre.

Yesterday afternoon, the "NRA Women" Twitter account sent out a simple and yet ghoulish message to its followers.

Typical of most old cemeteries, eerie carved-stone Angels of Death and other ghoulish figures adorn many of the tombstones.

They cast a ghoulish light on this roughly 8-by-10-foot room, where the family of eight struggles to survive.

It is also gruesome, ghoulish, and appalling—and utterly fascinating.

Historical Examples

It is ghoulish work, but they have become as matter of fact as can be.

The appearance of the whole thing was repulsive, ghastly, ghoulish.

The Recoleta is a strange cemetery, bizarre, ghoulish, tawdry.

The wasp, in trembling, ghoulish ecstasy, devoured it as it appeared.

His spirit was too lofty to exist in this blood-soaked hell of ghoulish czars.

ghoulish

Word Origin and History for ghoulish

adj.

Origin of ghoulish