ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ghoul

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈɡuɫ// UK //ɡˈuːl// ghoul Informal Vulgar

n. a creature from Middle Eastern stories that eats the bodies of dead people. In modern slang, it is also a person who likes to watch others have sex or be embarrassed.

n. a creature from Arabic folklore that consumes human flesh, typically that of corpses. In contemporary informal usage, it refers to a person who derives pleasure from the suffering or humiliation of others, particularly in the context of voyeurism.


SIMPLE

He is a real ghoul who likes to watch people's private lives.

CONTEXTUAL

The internet is full of ghouls who post videos of people's most embarrassing moments without their permission.

COMPLEX

While the original myth depicts the ghoul as a nocturnal predator of the dead, modern usage has shifted to describe those who exploit the private misfortunes of others for their own entertainment.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from French goule, from Persian غول (ġul) from Arabic غُول (ḡūl).

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