Discover a comprehensive list of Halloween words to enhance your spooky vocabulary, and help you, or your students, learn the words associated with Halloween.
Halloween is a time of spooky fun, fancy costumes, elaborate decorations, and trick-or-treats. As the day approaches, you’ll come across words that make this time of year unique. From ghoulish monsters to eerie sights, there are things that you’ll see on Halloween that don’t appear at any other time of the year!
In this guide, you’ll discover the vocabulary that defines Halloween. So, if you’re a student, a teacher, or just curious about this time, this list of Halloween words will help you prepare for any Halloween activities and make learning fun.
List of Halloween Words
Here is a list of words associated with Halloween. Whether you’re looking to expand your vocabulary, create festive content, do Halloween classroom activities, or simply get into the mood, these words will help bring Halloween to life.
Halloween Words That Start With A
- Afraid: Feeling fear or anxiety.
- Afterlife: Life after death.
- Alarming: Causing fear or concern.
- Alien: A being from another world.
- Angel: A spiritual being often depicted as a messenger of God. Represented in human form with wings and a halo.
- Apparition: A ghostly figure.
- Apple cider: A beverage made from pressed apples, often associated with fall.
- Apples: A common fruit often used in Halloween games like bobbing for apples.
- Autumn: The season between summer and winter, associated with falling leaves and harvest.
Halloween Words That Start With B
- Ballerina: A female ballet dancer.
- Bat: A nocturnal flying mammal associated with Halloween.
- Beast: A wild, dangerous animal.
- Bizarre: Very strange or unusual.
- Black: The darkest color, often associated with Halloween themes.
- Black Cat: A cat with black fur, often associated with superstitions and bad luck.
- Blood: The red liquid that circulates in the veins and arteries of humans and animals.
- Bloodcurdling: Terrifying or horrifying, causing extreme fear.
- Bloodsucker: A creature that feeds on blood, like a vampire.
- Bloody: Covered in or resembling blood.
- Bobbing for apples: A game where participants try to catch apples floating in water using only their teeth.
- Bogeyman: A mythical creature used to frighten children.
- Bones: Multiple pieces of the hard skeletal structure of a body.
- Boneyard: A cemetery or burial ground.
- Boo: An exclamation used to scare someone.
- Broomstick: A stick used as a broom, commonly associated with witches.
Halloween Words That Start With C
- Cadaver: A dead human body.
- Cackle: A loud, harsh laugh, often associated with witches.
- Candle: A cylindrical or tapering stick of wax with a wick in the center that, when lit, provides light.
- Candy: A sweet confection made of sugar, often given out during Halloween.
- Candy apple: An apple coated in sugar syrup, often a treat during Halloween.
- Candy corn: A small, triangular candy made of sugar, resembling corn kernels.
- Cape: A sleeveless outer garment that drapes over the shoulders.
- Carve: To cut or shape a hard material, often referring to pumpkins during Halloween.
- Carving: The act of cutting shapes, especially in pumpkins.
- Casket: A coffin; a box for burying a corpse.
- Cat: A small domesticated carnivorous mammal often associated with Halloween.
- Cauldron: A large metal pot used for cooking over an open fire, often associated with witches.
- Cemetery: A place where the dead are buried.
- Chilling: Causing fear or anxiety; frightening.
- Chocolate: A sweet treat made from roasted and ground cacao seeds.
- Cloak: A loose outer garment without sleeves, often worn by vampires or other spooky characters.
- Clown: A performer in a costume and makeup, often seen as frightening in Halloween contexts.
- Cobweb: A spider’s web, especially when old and covered with dust.
- Coffin: A box used for the burial of a corpse.
- Corpse: A dead body.
- Corn maze: A maze cut out of a cornfield, a popular Halloween attraction.
- Costume: A set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period.
- Costume contest: A competition where participants are judged on their costumes.
- Costume party: A social gathering where participants wear costumes.
- Count Dracula: A fictional character created by Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel Dracula, known as a vampire count from Transylvania who preys on the blood of the living.
- Cowboy: A person who herds and tends cattle, often a popular costume choice.
- Cowgirl: A woman who herds and tends cattle, also a popular costume choice.
- Creepy: Causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease.
- Crown: A circular ornamental headdress worn by royalty.
- Crow: A large black bird often associated with bad omens.
Halloween Words That Start With D
- Dark: Lacking light; night or blackness.
- Darkness: The absence of light; night.
- Dead: No longer alive.
- Death: The end of life.
- Decapitated: To have one’s head cut off.
- Decoration: Items used to make a place look festive, especially during Halloween.
- Demon: An evil spirit or devil.
- Devil: The personification of evil; Satan.
- Devilish: Of or like a devil; wicked.
- Disguise: Something worn to conceal one’s identity.
- Dreadful: Causing fear or dread.
- Dress-up: To put on clothes to change appearance or for fun.
- Dracula: A fictional vampire created by Bram Stoker.
Halloween Words That Start With E
- Eerie: Strange and frightening.
- Elf: A supernatural creature of folklore, often small and mischievous.
- Enchant: To charm or captivate.
- Enchanting: Delightfully charming or attractive.
- Epitaph: An inscription on a tombstone.
- Evil: Profoundly immoral and wicked.
- Eyeballs: The round parts of the eyes.
- Eyepatch: A piece of cloth worn over one eye.
Halloween Words That Start With F
- Face paint: Paint applied to the face for costume or disguise.
- Fairy: A mythical being of folklore, often depicted as a small, delicate creature with wings.
- Fall: Another term for autumn, the season associated with Halloween.
- Fangs: Long, sharp teeth, often associated with vampires.
- Fantasy: A genre of fiction that uses magic and other supernatural elements.
- Fear: An unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger or harm.
- Firefighter: A person whose job is to extinguish fires, often a costume choice.
- Flashlight: A portable hand-held electric light.
- Fog: A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere.
- Frankenstein: A fictional monster created by Dr. Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s novel.
- Fright: A sudden feeling of fear.
- Frighten: To make someone afraid.
- Frightening: Making someone feel afraid.
- Frightful: Terrifying.
Halloween Words That Start With G
- Games: Activities played for entertainment, often part of Halloween celebrations.
- Genie: A supernatural being that grants wishes, often depicted in folklore.
- Ghastly: Causing great horror or fear.
- Ghost: The spirit of a dead person appearing to the living.
- Ghost story: A tale involving ghosts or other supernatural elements.
- Ghostly: Of or like a ghost.
- Ghoul: A monstrous creature associated with graveyards.
- Ghoulish: Resembling or characteristic of a ghoul.
- Goblin: A small, mischievous, and ugly creature from folklore.
- Goodies: Treats, often referring to Halloween candy.
- Gory: Involving or showing violence and bloodshed.
- Grave: A place of burial.
- Gravestone: A stone marking a grave, typically engraved with the name of the deceased.
- Graveyard: An area of land designated for burying the deceased.
- Grim: Stern, forbidding, or uninviting.
- Grim Reaper: A personification of death, usually depicted as a cloaked figure with a scythe.
- Grisly: Causing horror or disgust.
- Gruesome: Causing repulsion or horror; grisly.
- Gown: A long dress worn on formal occasions.
- Gummy worms: Chewy, worm-shaped candies.
Halloween Words That Start With H
- Hair Raising: Causing fear or horror.
- Halloween: A holiday celebrated on October 31st, involving costumes, trick-or-treating, and spooky decorations.
- Hat: A head covering, often worn as part of a costume.
- Haunt: A place frequently visited by ghosts.
- Haunted: Inhabited by or visited regularly by ghosts.
- Haunted house: A building believed to be inhabited by spirits.
- Hayride: A ride taken for fun on a wagon filled with hay, often part of Halloween festivities.
- Headstone: A stone marker placed over a grave.
- Hobgoblin: A mischievous goblin from folklore.
- Hocus Pocus: Meaningless words or phrases used to invoke magic.
- Holiday: A day of celebration or commemoration.
- Horrible: Very unpleasant or bad.
- Horrify: To cause fear or shock.
- Horror: An intense feeling of fear or shock.
- Howl: A long, loud, mournful cry, as made by a wolf or dog.
Halloween Words That Start With I
- Icky: Disgusting or unpleasant.
- Imp: A small, mischievous devil or sprite.
- Incantation: A series of words said as a magic spell.
- Inferno: A large fire that is dangerously out of control.
- Invisible: Unable to be seen.
Halloween Words That Start With J
- Jack-o’-lantern: A carved pumpkin with a light inside, often used as a decoration for Halloween.
- Jackal: A wild dog found in Africa and Asia, often associated with scavenging.
- Jet-black: A deep, glossy black color.
- Jinx: A person or thing that brings bad luck.
- Jittery: Nervous or unable to relax.
- Jumpsuit: A one-piece garment with sleeves and legs.
Halloween Words That Start With K
- Kettle: A container for boiling liquids, often associated with witches (witches kettle).
- Killer: A person or thing that kills.
- King: A male ruler of a kingdom.
- Knife: A tool used for cutting, often seen in Halloween horror themes.
- Knock: To strike a surface noisily to attract attention.
Halloween Words That Start With L
- Laboratory: A room or building equipped for scientific experiments.
- Lair: A secret or private place, often used by monsters.
- Lantern: A portable light source with a protective enclosure.
- Leech: A parasitic worm that sucks blood.
- Legend: A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated.
- Lifeless: Without life; dead.
- Lurid: Very vivid in color, creating an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect.
- Lurk: To lie in wait or move stealthily.
Halloween Words That Start With M
- Macabre: Disturbing because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury.
- Magic: The use of supernatural powers to make things happen.
- Magic Wand: A stick used by a magician or fairy for performing magic.
- Make Believe: Pretending or imagining.
- Makeup: Cosmetics applied to the face, especially for costumes.
- Mask: A covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise or for protection.
- Masquerade: A false show or pretense, often associated with masked parties.
- Mausoleum: A building housing a tomb or tombs.
- Midnight: Twelve o’clock at night; the middle of the night.
- Mist: A fine spray or light fog.
- Monster: A large, ugly, and frightening creature.
- Monster Mash: A novelty song popular at Halloween parties.
- Moon: The natural satellite of the Earth, often associated with werewolves.
- Moonlight: The light of the moon.
- Morbid: Characterized by an abnormal and unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, especially death.
- Mummy: A preserved body, often associated with ancient Egypt.
- Mysterious: Difficult or impossible to understand, explain, or identify.
Halloween Words That Start With N
- Nasty: Very unpleasant to see, smell, taste, or hear.
- Netherworld: The underworld or the world of the dead.
- Nefarious: Wicked or criminal.
- Night: The time of day when it is dark outside.
- Nightmare: A frightening or unpleasant dream.
- Ninja: A Japanese warrior skilled in espionage and combat.
- Nocturnal: Active during the night.
Halloween Words That Start With O
- October: The tenth month of the year, associated with Halloween.
- Ogre: A large, hideous monster from folklore.
- Ominous: Giving the impression that something bad is going to happen.
- Ooze: To flow slowly; a thick, slimy fluid.
- Orange: A bright, warm color associated with Halloween.
- Otherworldly: Of, relating to, or suggestive of another world.
- Owl: A nocturnal bird of prey often associated with wisdom and mystery.
Halloween Words That Start With P
- Party: A social gathering with entertainment and refreshments.
- Petrify: To turn to stone or to be paralyzed with fear.
- Phantasm: A figment of the imagination; a ghost or apparition.
- Phantom: A ghost or spirit.
- Pirate: A person who attacks and robs ships at sea, often a popular costume choice.
- Pitchfork: A long-handled fork used for lifting and throwing hay, associated with rural and devil imagery.
- Poltergeist: A ghost or other supernatural being that causes physical disturbances.
- Potion: A liquid with magical properties.
- Prank: A practical joke or mischievous act.
- Prince: A male royal, often a character in costume themes.
- Princess: A female royal, often a costume choice.
- Pretend: To act as if something is true when it is not.
- Pumpkin: A large orange gourd, often carved into jack-o’-lanterns.
- Pumpkin patch: A garden where pumpkins are grown.
- Pumpkin pie: A dessert made from spiced, pureed pumpkin.
- Pumpkin seeds: Edible seeds found inside pumpkins.
Halloween Word That Starts With Q
- Quagmire: A soft, boggy area of land that gives way underfoot.
- Qualm: An uneasy feeling of doubt or fear.
- Quake: To shake or tremble.
- Queen: A female ruler of a kingdom, often part of costume themes.
- Quaver: To shake or tremble in speaking, typically due to nervousness.
- Quiet: Making little or no noise.
- Quiver: To tremble or shake.
Halloween Words That Start With R
- Rat: A rodent often associated with sewers and darkness.
- Rancid: Smelling or tasting unpleasant due to being old or stale.
- Raven: A large black bird associated with death and mystery.
- Rattle: To make a rapid succession of short, sharp noises.
- Reek: A strong, unpleasant smell.
- Repulsive: Causing intense disgust.
- Revolting: Extremely unpleasant or disgusting.
- RIP: Rest in peace; commonly found on gravestones.
- Ritual: A religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.
- Robot: A machine capable of carrying out complex actions automatically.
- Robe: A long, loose outer garment.
- Rotten: Decomposing or decayed.
Halloween Words That Start With S
- Scare: To cause sudden fear.
- Scarecrow: A figure made to resemble a human, set up to scare birds away from crops.
- Scary: Frightening; causing fear.
- Scream: A loud, piercing cry.
- Séance: A meeting to communicate with spirits.
- Shadow: A dark area caused by an object blocking light.
- Shadowy: Full of shadows; dim and dark.
- Shape-shifter: A being that can change its shape or appearance.
- Shock: A sudden upsetting or surprising event or experience.
- Shocking: Causing a feeling of surprise and dismay.
- Shriek: A high-pitched piercing sound or cry.
- Shiver: To shake slightly due to fear or cold.
- Sinister: Giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening.
- Skeleton: The internal structure composed of bones that supports the body of an animal or human.
- Skull: The bony structure that forms the head and houses the brain.
- Slaughter: To kill in a violent or cruel manner.
- Slimy: Covered with or resembling slime; slippery and unpleasant.
- Sorcerer: A person who claims or is believed to have magic powers.
- Specter: A ghost or phantom.
- Spell: A word or phrase believed to have magic power.
- Spider: An eight-legged arachnid that spins webs.
- Spider Web: A silken structure made by a spider to catch prey.
- Spine Chilling: Very frightening or terrifying.
- Spirit: A supernatural being or essence.
- Spook: To scare or frighten.
- Spooky: Strange and frightening.
- Supernatural: Attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding.
- Superstition: A widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation.
- Sweets: Confections or sugary treats, often enjoyed during celebrations or as a treat.
Halloween Words That Start With T
- Tarot: A set of cards used for fortune-telling.
- Tattered: Old and torn; in poor condition.
- Terrifying: Causing extreme fear.
- Terror: An intense, overwhelming fear or dread.
- Thriller: A novel, play, or movie with an exciting plot, often involving crime or espionage.
- Thunder: A loud rumbling or crashing noise heard after lightning.
- Toad: A type of amphibian with a stout body and dry, warty skin, commonly found in various environments and popular with witches!
- Tomb: A large vault, typically an underground one, for burying the dead.
- Tombstone: A stone marker over a grave.
- Tormented: Experiencing or characterized by severe physical or mental suffering.
- Tragic: Causing or characterized by extreme distress or sorrow.
- Treat: Something pleasant given in return for effort or to reward good behavior.
- Treats: Plural of treat; often refers to candies given out during Halloween.
- Trick: A cunning act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone.
- Trick-or-treat: A Halloween custom for children in many countries, where they dress in costumes and go house to house asking for treats.
- Troll: A mythical cave-dwelling being, typically depicted as either a giant or a dwarf.
- Twilight: The period of soft, diffused light occurring just before sunrise and after sunset.
Halloween Words That Start With U
- Ugly: Something that is unpleasant or unattractive in appearance,
- Uncanny: Strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.
- Undead: A fictional being that is technically dead but behaves as if alive.
- Undertaker: A professional who manages and oversees the preparation and burial or cremation of deceased individuals.
- Unearthly: Strange and unnatural; otherworldly.
- Unmask: To reveal the true identity of someone or something.
- Unnerving: Causing a feeling of discomfort, anxiety, or unease; unsettling or disturbing.
- Unsettling: Causing anxiety or uneasiness.
- Unveil: To reveal or make known.
- Urn: A container, often made of metal, ceramic, or stone, used to hold the ashes of a deceased person after cremation or to store other substances.
Halloween Words That Start With V
- Vampire: A mythical creature that feeds on the blood of the living.
- Vanish: Disappear suddenly and completely.
- Veil: A piece of fine material worn by women to protect or conceal the face.
- Venom: Poisonous fluid secreted by animals such as snakes and spiders.
- Vermin: Wild mammals and birds that are harmful to crops, farm animals, or game.
- Vicious: Deliberately cruel or violent.
- Vile: Something that is extremely unpleasant, morally repugnant, or deeply offensive.
- Villain: A character whose evil actions are important to the plot.
- Voodoo: A religion involving magic and spirits, originating in Africa.
Halloween Words That Start With W
- Wail: A prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger.
- Wand: A slender, often magical tool used to channel or direct energy,
- Warlock: A male witch or sorcerer.
- Warty: Covered with warts.
- Web: A network of fine threads constructed by a spider.
- Weird: Something that is unusual, strange, or out of the ordinary.
- Werewolf: A mythical human who transforms into a wolf, typically during a full moon.
- Whisper: A way of speaking or communicating in a very soft and low voice
- Wicked: Evil or morally wrong.
- Wicked Witch: A female character often depicted as evil and magical.
- Wig: Artificial hair worn on the head.
- Will-o’-the-wisp: A ghostly light seen by travelers at night, especially over swamps or marshes.
- Witch: A woman thought to have magic powers.
- Witchcraft: The practice of magical skills, spells, and abilities.
- Wizard: A man who has magical powers.
- Wizardry: The art or practice of magic performed by a wizard, often involving spells, potions, and enchantments.
- Wraith: A ghost or ghostlike image of someone, especially one seen shortly before or after their death.
- Wretched: Describes something or someone in a very poor, miserable, or distressing state.
Halloween Words That Start With X
- X-ray: A form of electromagnetic radiation used for medical imaging.
Halloween Words That Start With Y
- Yellow: A bright color often associated with fall leaves.
- Yell: To shout or scream.
- Yeti: A mythical ape-like creature said to inhabit the Himalayas.
- Yowl: A long, loud, mournful cry, often made by animals like cats, or used to describe a person’s wailing in fear or pain. Commonly associated with eerie sounds heard on a spooky Halloween night.
Halloween Words That Start With Z
- Zombie: A reanimated corpse.
- Zorro: A masked vigilante hero, often a popular costume choice.
What Are Some Halloween Phrases?
Here are some Halloween-related phrases along with their meanings:
- Blood Runs Cold: Describes a sudden feeling of fear or shock, as if all the warmth has left your body.
- Boo!: A word used to surprise or scare someone in a playful way. It’s often associated with ghosts and spooky fun.
- Come Back to Haunt You: Refers to something from the past, like a mistake or regret, that causes trouble later.
- Dead of Night: Refers to the quietest and darkest part of the night, usually when eerie things are said to happen.
- Dig Your Own Grave: To do something that will result in problems for yourself, often used humorously in Halloween-themed settings.
- Easier Than Taking Candy from a Baby: A phrase meaning something very easy to do. On Halloween, it might be humorously used to describe how easily kids collect candy.
- Ghost Town: Describes a deserted town or area. On Halloween, it can refer to an eerie or abandoned place.
- Ghostly Greetings: A playful and spooky way to greet someone during Halloween, wishing them a fun and haunted time.
- Happy Haunting: A cheerful way to wish someone a spooky and fun Halloween, often used in decorations and greetings.
- Happy Halloween!: A common greeting used to wish someone a fun and enjoyable Halloween.
- Jump Out of Your Skin: Used when someone is very startled or scared suddenly.
- Over the Moon: Originally referring to excitement or joy, in a Halloween context, it often evokes the imagery of witches flying.
- Rest in Peace (RIP): Often seen on gravestones, it’s used to wish eternal peace to someone who has died. It’s commonly used decoratively in Halloween contexts.
- Scaredy-cat: A playful term for someone who is easily frightened.
- Skeletons in the Closet: Refers to secrets or hidden things in one’s past, often something shameful or scandalous.
- Trick or Treat: A phrase used by children on Halloween when they go door-to-door in costumes, asking for candy. The “trick” is a playful threat to perform mischief if not given a “treat.”
- Witching Hour: Refers to midnight, a time believed to be when witches, ghosts, and supernatural beings are most active.
These can be perfect for adding a spooky twist to your Halloween conversations!
Is There Another Word for Halloween?
Another word for Halloween is “Samhain” (pronounced “Sow-in” or “Sah-win”). Samhain is the ancient Celtic festival that Halloween originates from, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It’s associated with rituals, spirits, and the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead, making it a historical term for Halloween.
Another option could be “All Hallows’ Eve,” which is the old-fashioned name for Halloween, emphasizing its connection to the following day, All Saints’ Day.
The founder of DoTEFL, James is passionate about helping others fulfill their dreams through teaching and traveling abroad.
James has been helping people teach English abroad for over twelve years. He’s traveled to over 30 countries, lived in 3, and taught English in Chile and online.
James has been helping people teach English abroad for over twelve years. He’s traveled to over 30 countries, lived in 3, and taught English in Chile and online.
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