ghoul
ghoul Lexical Profile
ghoul Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A monstrous, undead, or humanoid creature in fantasy and horror fiction that typically dwells in graveyards or catacombs and consumes the dead.
"In the fantasy role-playing game, the adventurers fought a pack of ghouls lingering in the ruined crypt."
An evil spirit or phantom in Arabic mythology, traditionally believed to rob graves and feed on human corpses.
"According to ancient folklore, a ghoul would wander the desert at night seeking out fresh burial sites."
A person who is morbidly interested in death, disaster, or gruesome subjects.
"The reporters who swarmed the scene of the tragedy were dismissed as ghouls by the grieving family."
• Rhymes for ghoul
Word Origin & Etymology
Introduced to English in the late 18th century from the Arabic word 'ghūl', a desert demon believed to rob graves and devour corpses, ultimately derived from 'ghāla', meaning 'to seize'.