A Halloween vocabulary word list is a great way to help students learn new words during the spooky season. These fun word lists will help your students learn more about the holiday. The following is a sample of some of the most popular Halloween phrases and words. Try to use as many of these phrases as possible, and your class will be more excited about the holiday! If you have a list of your own, add it to your classroom resources!
Monster: The word monster is used to describe an unnatural or scary creature. It also can refer to a gigantic human being. The most famous monster is probably Frankenstein’s monster from the book “Frankenstein.” It is a creation made from the dead body parts of a human. You can even learn the song’s name using the Halloween vocabulary word list. Ghosts and spirits are also common words during Halloween. Some people believe that ghosts and spirits live on Earth and can cause havoc.
Tricks and treats are popular on Halloween. A trick is a practical joke, while a treat is a surprise or unexpected gift. The Halloween tradition of trick or treat is popular in the USA and the UK, where children dress up in costumes and visit different houses for candy. Werewolves, for example, are a type of monster that turns into a wolf when the moon is full. It is important to remember that a Halloween vocabulary word list should not be too long, but it should be long enough to keep your child interested and motivated.
Halloween Word Search
A
afraid afterlife alarming alien angel apparition astronaut autumn
B
ballerina bat beast bizarre black black cat blood bloodcurdling bogeyman bone boo broomstick
C
cackle cadaver candy cape carve casket cat cauldron cemetery chilling cloak clown cobweb coffin corpse costume cowboy cowgirl creepy crown crypt
D
dark darkness dead death demon devil devilish disguise dreadful dress-up
E
eerie elf enchant evil eyeballs eyepatch
F
face paint fairy fall fangs fantasy fear firefighter flashlight fog fright frighten frightening frightful
G
genie ghastly ghost ghostly ghoul ghoulish goblin goodies gory gown grave gravestone grim Grim Reaper grisly gruesome
H
hair-raising Halloween hat haunt haunted house hayride headstone hobgoblin hocus pocus horrible horrify howl
I-K
imp jack-o’-lantern jumpsuit kimono king
L-M
lantern macabre magic magic wand make-believe make-up mask masquerade mausoleum midnight mist monster moon moonlight moonlit morbid mummy mysterious
N-O
night nightmare ninja October ogre orange otherworldly owl
P
party petrify phantasm phantom pirate pitchfork poltergeist potion prank pretend prince princess pumpkin
Q-R
queen repulsive revolting RIP robe robot
S
scare scarecrow scary scream shadow shadowy shock shocking skeleton skull soldier spectre spell spider spider web spine-chilling spirit spook spooky startling strange superhero supernatural superstition sweets
T
tarantula terrible terrify thirty-first thrilling tiara toga tomb tombstone treat treats trick trick-or-treat troll tutu
U-Z
unearthly unnerving vampire vanish wand warlock web weird were wolf wicked wig witch witchcraft wizard wizardry wraith zombie
Halloween Vocabulary Word List
All Hallows Eve – another name for Halloween.
apparition – a transparent, ghostly figure.
autumn – the season that comes after summer and before winter. Also known as “fall” in the USA.
bag – a container for candy (US English) or sweets (British English) given out at Halloween to children who dress up in costumes and go “trick or treating” around their local neighbourhood.
banshee – an unhappy, wailing ghost which features in Irish and Scottish folklore. Banshees are said to appear when somebody is about to die.
bat – a small flying mammal, with leathery wings. According to legend, vampires are said to be able to turn into bats.
black – the darkest colour, and the colour of night.
black cat – black cats are said to bring good luck in parts of the UK and Ireland. According to folklore, black cats are said to have supernatural powers, and witches often keep them as pets, or familiars.
blood – red liquid running through veins of people and warm blooded creatures.
bloodcurdling – a chilling, scary sound. Often used to describe screams.
bogeyman – a fictional scary person, used to frighten children who misbehave.
bones – hard pieces of a person’s or animal’s skeleton.
boo – a word which is sometimes used to frighten people, when playing tricks.
brew – 1) to cook liquid (verb). 2) cooked beverage or dish, e.g. witches brew (noun).
broom or broomstick – a type of brush with a long wooden handle, said to be used by witches to fly, according to legend.
candle – a wax cylinder with a wick in the middle, that can be lit with a match to provide a source of light.
candy – (US English) sweet treats given to children at Halloween.
casket – a coffin.
cat – a cute, fluffy mammal, said to be favourite pet of witches.
cape – a long, voluminous outer garment, or cloak. Often worn by vampires.
cauldron – a cooking pot, used by witches to brew spells.
cemetery – a place where dead people are buried (British English).
cloak – an outer garment, or cape.
coffin – a container for a dead body. Generally made of wood and lined with silk, with a hinged lid.
corpse – a dead body.
costume – a make-believe outfit, worn for fun at Halloween.
creepy – unsettling, or scary.
dead – not alive.
demon – a devil.
devil – an evil spirit.
disguise – a costume, often worn for fun at Halloween parties by adults and children alike. At Halloween, partygoers sometimes dress up as mummies, witches, werewolves or vampires!
evil – malicious, bad, ill intentioned.
fall – the season that comes after summer and before winter (American English). Known as “autumn” in the UK.
familiar – a pet animal kept by witches, which is said to have the ability to change into human shape, according to folklore.
fangs – sharp, pointy upper front teeth, designed for piercing flesh.
festival – a celebration, or special event.
fiend – a monster or demon.
frighten – (verb) to scare, startle.
frightening – scary.
ghost – undead spirit that haunts houses.
ghostly – ghost-like.
ghoul – a fictional flesh eating monster that is said to rob graves, according to folklore.
goblin – a small, ugly, mischievous creature, with a reputation for causing trouble.
gory – bloody, macabre.
grave – a burial space for a coffin in a cemetery.
graveyard – a place where dead people are buried (American English)
Grim Reaper – the name traditionally used to symbolise Death. In British English folklore, Death is usually depicted as a skeleton in a long black cloak, carrying a scythe.
grisly – horrid, gruesome, bloody.
gruesome – horrible, bloody, macabre.
haunted – a place frequented by ghosts or other spirits of the dead.
horror – shock or fright. Horror films are very popular, and are often shown on television at Halloween.
howl – a high pitched noise made by dogs and wolves.
Jack O’ Lantern – a lantern carved from a pumpkin, with a candle inside.
lantern – a type of lamp.
magic – the power or ability to make things happen by casting spells, or entertaining people by performing tricks.
mausoleum – an ornate, stone cemetery building, built to house the coffins of rich and famous people, or members of the same family.
monster – a fearful, horrid, imaginary creature.
moon – large, round satellite that revolves around the earth, which can be seen in the sky at night.
mummy – a dead person, who was buried wrapped in bandages.
nightmare – a scary, bad dream.
October – the tenth month of the year.
orange – a bright colour associated with Halloween and other autumn festivals, such as The Mexican Day of The Dead (El Dia de los Muertos).
phantom – a ghostly apparition.
prank – a trick, or practical joke.
pumpkin – an orange vegetable, which is often carved and hollowed out to make Halloween lanterns.
scare – (verb) to frighten a person or animal.
scary – something which is frightening.
skull – the bony part of the head, attached to a person’s skeleton.
scythe – a long, sharp, curved blade.
shadow – a dark shape cast by an object positioned between a surface and a source of light, such as the moon.
skeleton – the hard inner frame of person’s or animal’s body, formed from bones that join together.
shock – fright.
spell – a magic rite, cast by witches.
spider – an insect with eight legs that spins webs.
spirits – the ghosts of dead people.
spooky – mildly scary, though often in a fun way.
sweets – sugary treats given to children at Halloween (British English).
tomb – a building where dead people are buried.
tombstone – a large, upright stone placed at the head of a grave. Gravestones often have information about the person who is buried in the grave carved into them, such as their date of birth, when they died, and other information about their life.
trick – a practical joke, or other act of deception.
treat – a fun, unexpected surprise, designed to please someone.
trick or treat – a popular Halloween custom in the UK and USA, where children dress up in costumes and visit people’s houses in search of sweets (British English) or candy (US English).
vampire – an undead creature who sleeps in a coffin by day, and ventures out at night to bite people and drink their blood.
wand – a stick used for casting magic spells.
web – spiders spin these to catch flies.
warlock – a male witch.
werewolf – a person who turns into a wolf whenever there is a full moon. According to folklore, if a person is bitten by a werewolf, then they become a werewolf, too!
Wicca – an ancient religion, practised by witches.
wicked – bad or evil.
witch – a woman believed to have magical powers.
witchcraft – magic, practised by witches.
wraith – a Scottish word for a ghost.
zombie – an undead, flesh eating creature.
