ghoul

(go͞ol)

1. An evil spirit or demon in Muslim folklore believed to plunder graves and feed on corpses.

2. In popular folklore, an undead or subhuman being, especially one that eats human flesh.

3. A grave robber.

4. One who delights in the revolting, morbid, or loathsome.

[Arabic ġūl, from ġāla, to seize, snatch; see ġwl in Semitic roots.]

ghoul′ish adj.

ghoul′ish·ly adv.

ghoul′ish·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ghoul

(ɡuːl)

1. a malevolent spirit or ghost

2. a person interested in morbid or disgusting things

3. a person who robs graves

4. (Non-European Myth & Legend) (in Muslim legend) an evil demon thought to eat human bodies, either stolen corpses or children

[C18: from Arabic ghūl, from ghāla he seized]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ghoul

(gul)

n.

1. an evil demon, orig. of Eastern legend, believed to rob graves, prey on corpses, etc.

2. a grave robber.

3. a person who revels in what is revolting.

[1780–90; < Arabic ghūl]

ghoul′ish, adj.

ghoul′ish•ly, adv.

ghoul′ish•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	ghoul - someone who takes bodies from graves and sells them for anatomical dissection body snatcher, graverobber stealer, thief - a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
	2.	ghoul - an evil spirit or ghost evil spirit - a spirit tending to cause harm

ghoul

noun

A perversely bad, cruel, or wicked person:

archfiend, beast, devil, fiend, monster, ogre, tiger, vampire.

Translations

غول

Ghul

golgul

غول

ghouli

goule

demone necrofago demonio che divora cadaverighoulgula

ghulghula

gholghoulghul

гуль

ghoul

[guːl] N (= malevolent spirit) → demonio m necrófago; (= person) → morboso/a m/f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ghoul

[ˈguːl] n (= ghost) → vampire m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ghoul

n (= evil spirit) → Ghul m; (fig) → Mensch m → mit schaurigen Gelüsten

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Atholston relates that a ghoul was caught by some sturdy peasants in a churchyard at Sudbury and ducked in a horsepond.

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I was nearly struck dumb with horror on seeing my wife with this hideous female ghoul. They passed by me without noticing me, began to dig up a corpse which had been buried that day, and then sat down on the edge of the grave, to enjoy their frightful repast, talking quietly and cheerfully all the while, though I was too far off to hear what they said.

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What sort of a wizard must he be, or ghoul, or madman?

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"Do you suppose I eat like an ogre or a ghoul, that you dread being the companion of my repast?"

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And the people - ah, the people - They that dwell up in the steeple, All alone, And who, tolling, tolling, tolling, In that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone - They are neither man nor woman - They are neither brute nor human - They are Ghouls: - And their king it is who tolls: - And he rolls, rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls

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Some cling to you in woebegone misery; others come back fiercely and weirdly, like ghouls bent upon sucking your strength away; others, again, have a catastrophic splendour; some are unvenerated recollections, as of spiteful wild-cats clawing at your agonized vitals; others are severe, like a visitation; and one or two rise up draped and mysterious, with an aspect of ominous menace.

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"Ghouls and harpies!" Brissenden snapped out with clicking teeth.

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Philip's mind was full of the stories he had heard of baby-farming and the ghouls who ill-treat the wretched children that selfish, cruel parents have put in their charge.

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It reminded me of ghouls and idiots and insane howlings.

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The ghouls had come later than usual, and they seemed more than usually eager to be gone.

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One lies there lapped up in evils, watched over by beings that are worse than ogres, ghouls, and vampires.

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Alamet Estefham poster - Twitter CAIRO - 3 June 2019: During the 28th episode of the series "Alamet Estefham starring Mohamed Ragab, "Noah el-Shawaf" killed "Yacoub el-Ghoul -Moumen Nour-, inside a disco, after he thought that Ghoul is responsible for the murder of Shawaf's brother Gasser -Mohamed Nasser-.

Alamet Estefham Episode 28: Noah Kills Kandil