What does ghoulish mean?
Ghoulish means ghostly, eerie, or sinister, with a strong suggestion of something grotesque, menacing, or macabre. It is commonly used for unsettling appearances, expressions, sounds, places, and atmospheres, often in fiction, horror, and descriptive writing. A ghoulish house might have a forbidding shape, strange shadows, and a decaying, unsettling appearance; a ghoulish laugh might be eerie or cruel rather than merely loud. The word is more expressive than the general term ghostly, because it evokes the imagery of a ghoul: a frightening, supernatural creature associated with decay and the uncanny. It can also describe something deliberately exaggerated to seem grotesque or macabre, such as a ghoulish costume or theatrical makeup. Ghoulish is recognized in both British and American English and is useful when the writer wants to emphasize menace, supernatural atmosphere, or grotesque appearance.
adjectiveGhostly, eerie, or sinister, especially in a grotesque or menacing way. It can describe an appearance, sound, expression, or scene that evokes a ghoul or something supernatural and unsettling.
- Ghostly, eerie, or sinister, especially in a grotesque or menacing way.
"The abandoned house had a ghoulish atmosphere, with shadows moving behind its frosted windows."
"A ghoulish mask peeked out from behind the door."
"The story had a ghoulish quality that made the children uneasy."
Ghoulish combines the supernatural chill of a ghost with the unsettling grotesquerie of a ghoul.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ghoulish come from?
Ghoulish was formed in the early 19th century by adding the suffix -ish to ghoul. Ghoul comes through English from Arabic ghūl, a term for an evil or monstrous spirit, traditionally associated with deserts, graveyards, and places of desolation. The resulting adjective developed the sense “resembling a ghoul” and, by extension, “ghostly, sinister, or grotesque.”
Related word forms
How ghoulish is actually used
Ghoulish is a fairly literary and expressive adjective, used especially in descriptions of appearances, places, stories, and atmospheres. It often suggests something unsettling or macabre rather than a literal supernatural event.
Easily confused with ghoulish
Ghastly is similar in sound and meaning, but it more often emphasizes something dreadful or horrifying, whereas ghoulish often stresses a ghostly, grotesque, or sinister quality.