noun
ghoul
gool
noun
1
A legendary demon or evil spirit said to rob graves and feed on corpses.
"In the old folktale, a ghoul haunted the cemetery at night."
2
A person with a morbid, unhealthy fascination with death or gruesome things.
"Only a ghoul would slow down just to gawk at the crash."
How to Use Ghoul
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a corpse-eating demon from folklore, or (more commonly today) someone who takes an unhealthy interest in death, gore, or other people's misfortune.
Common pairings
a ghoulish ghoul reference
act like a ghoul
gawking ghouls
Word Forms
ghouls plural
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In the old folktale, a _____ haunted the cemetery at night.
Etymology
From French goule, borrowed from Persian/Arabic ghul, a legendary desert demon that preyed on travelers and the dead.