noun
ghoul
GOOL/ɡuːl/
A monstrous being imagined to haunt graves or feed on corpses.
In the story, a ghoul prowls among the graves nightly.
Etymology
Arabic ghūl names an evil spirit that robs graves and eats corpses. Calling a person a ghoul figuratively transfers that creature’s gruesome association with the dead to a morbid fascination with death.
More examples
- The legend describes ghouls that feed on human remains.
- She mistakes a twisted tree for a ghoul.
- His Halloween costume turns him into a terrifying ghoul.
Forms
ghoul · ghouls
ghoulish adjective — Resembling a ghoul or showing morbid fascination.