Revised 2021
ghoulishadjective
Factsheet
What does the adjective ghoulish mean?
There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective ghoulish. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the adjective ghoulish?
About 0.2occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1840 | 0.003 |
| 1850 | 0.0065 |
| 1860 | 0.013 |
| 1870 | 0.026 |
| 1880 | 0.044 |
| 1890 | 0.067 |
| 1900 | 0.098 |
| 1910 | 0.12 |
| 1920 | 0.15 |
| 1930 | 0.16 |
| 1940 | 0.16 |
| 1950 | 0.15 |
| 1960 | 0.15 |
| 1970 | 0.16 |
| 1980 | 0.17 |
| 1990 | 0.19 |
| 2000 | 0.2 |
| 2010 | 0.21 |
How is the adjective ghoulish pronounced?
British English
/ˈɡuːlɪʃ/
GOO-lish
U.S. English
/ˈɡulɪʃ/
GOO-lish
Where does the adjective ghoulish come from?
Earliest known use
1840s
The earliest known use of the adjective ghoulish is in the 1840s.
OED's earliest evidence for ghoulish is from 1840, in the writing of Thomas Hood, poet and humorist.
ghoulish is formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: ghoul n., ‑ish suffix1.
Nearby entries
- ghost train, n.1878–
- ghost-wise, adv.1861–
- ghost word, n.1887–
- ghost-write, v.1927–
- ghostwriter, n.1908–
- ghostwriting, n.1927–
- ghost-written, adj.1907–
- ghosty, adj.1519–
- ghoul, n.1721–
- ghoulie, n.1905–
- ghoulish, adj.1840–
- ghoulish-looking, adj.1875–
- ghoulishly, adv.1844–
- ghoulishness, n.1863–
- ghoulism, n.1841–
- ghoul-like, adj.1826–
- GHQ, n.1856–
- ghrelin, n.1999–
- ghulam, n.1677–
- ghurry, n.1638–
- Ghuzz, n. & adj.1845–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for ghoulish, adj.
ghoulish, adj. was revised in September 2021.
ghoulish, adj. was last modified in July 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into ghoulish, adj. in July 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1899)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Citation details
Factsheet for ghoulish, adj.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- ghost train, n.1878–
- ghost-wise, adv.1861–
- ghost word, n.1887–
- ghost-write, v.1927–
- ghostwriter, n.1908–
- ghostwriting, n.1927–
- ghost-written, adj.1907–
- ghosty, adj.1519–
- ghoul, n.1721–
- ghoulie, n.1905–
- ghoulish, adj.1840–
- ghoulish-looking, adj.1875–
- ghoulishly, adv.1844–
- ghoulishness, n.1863–
- ghoulism, n.1841–
- ghoul-like, adj.1826–
- GHQ, n.1856–
- ghrelin, n.1999–
- ghulam, n.1677–
- ghurry, n.1638–
- Ghuzz, n. & adj.1845–
