Halloween is a holiday filled with joy and excitement, especially when it comes to costumes, candy, pumpkins, and more. Looking for Halloween words? These days you can find all kinds of spooky vocabulary words that start from A to Z. Whether you’re looking for the perfect way to describe your costume choice or trying to come up with some fun activities ideas using the vernacular of this special celebration we’ve got what you need!
Get ready to take a peek at our list of Halloween vocabulary words starting alphabetically from A-Z and have yourself an even spookier time as you enjoy this spectacular night.
Halloween Vocabulary Words
Here is the List of the 20 Most Popular & Scary Halloween Vocabulary Words:
- Ghost
- Pumpkin
- Witch
- Bat
- Zombie
- Skeleton
- Haunted
- Spider
- Scary
- Creepy
- Trick-or-treat
- Costume
- Candy
- Graveyard
- Horror
- Jack-o’-lantern
- Vampire
- Monster
- Ghouls
- Black cat
More to Discover:
Halloween Words Starting With A to Z
Halloween Words Beginning With A:
- Abhorrence
- Abomination
- Abyss
- Acorn
- Adrenaline
- Afterlife
- Alchemist
- Alien
- All Hallows’ Eve
- Amulet
- Ancestor
- Angel
- Animatronics
- Apocalypse
- Apparition
- Arachnid
- Aroma
- Ashes
- Asphodel
- Astrolabe
- Asylum
- Attack
- Aura
- Autumn
- Axe
Halloween Words Beginning With B:
- Banshee
- Baphomet
- Basilisk
- Bat wings
- Bathtub
- Bats
- Beast
- Bewitch
- Bizarre
- Black cat
- Black magic
- Blackout
- Blackout
- Bloodcurdling
- Bogeyman
- Bone-chilling
- Bones
- Boneyard
- Boo
- Boogeyman
- Book of Shadows
- Brew
- Brimstone
- Brooding
- Broomstick
Halloween Words Beginning With C:
- Cadaver
- Calavera
- Candelabra
- Candlelight
- Candy
- Carve
- Cat
- Cauldron
- Cemetery
- Cemetery gate
- Chimera
- Chupacabra
- Cobweb
- Cockroach
- Coffin
- Coffin nails
- Corn maze
- Corpse
- Costume
- Coven
- Creep
- Creepy
- Creepy crawlies
- Crypt
- Curse
Halloween Words Beginning With D:
- Dagger
- Dark arts
- Dark magic
- Dark side
- Darkness
- Darkness falls
- Darkroom
- Death
- Death knell
- Death mask
- Death rattle
- Death’s door
- Deceased
- Decorations
- Dementor
- Demon
- Demonic
- Devil
- Doppelganger
- Dracula
- Draped
- Dreadful
- Dripping
- Dungeon
- Dusk
Halloween Words Beginning With E:
- Earthquake
- Ebony
- Eclipse
- Eclipse glasses
- Ecto-containment
- Ecto-mist
- Ectoplasm
- Eerie
- Elder
- Elf
- Elixir
- Elusive
- Elvira
- Embers
- Enchanted
- Enchanter
- Enigma
- Ephemeral
- Equinox
- Erase
- Evil
- Eviscerate
- Exile
- Exorcism
- Eye of Newt
Halloween Words Beginning With F:
- Fairy
- Fall
- Fang-banger
- Fang-tastic
- Fangirl
- Fangs
- Fangtasia
- Fatal
- Fear
- Fearmonger
- Feline
- Fiery
- Fire
- Flaming
- Flapjack
- Fledermaus
- Fog
- Fog machine
- Fortune-telling
- Frankenstein
- Freak show
- Freaky
- Fright
- Frightening
- Full moon
Halloween Words Beginning With G:
- Gargoyle
- Ghost
- Ghost story
- Ghost town
- Ghostly
- Ghoul
- Glitter
- Gloom
- Glowing
- Gluttony
- Gnarled
- Goblin
- Gooey
- Goosebumps
- Gory
- Gothic
- Gourd
- Gravestone
- Graveyard
- Greasepaint
- Gremlin
- Grim
- Grim Reaper
- Grisly
- Grotesque
Halloween Words Beginning With H:
- Hair-raising
- Hallowed
- Halloween
- Halloween costume
- Hallowmas
- Harrowing
- Haunt
- Haunted
- Haunted house
- Haunting
- Hayride
- Hazy
- Headless
- Heart-stopping
- Hellish
- Hex
- Hobgoblin
- Hocus Pocus
- Horror
- Horror flick
- Horror movie
- Horror story
- House of horrors
- Howl
- Hysterical
Halloween Words Beginning With I:
- Ice Queen
- Ichor
- Iconic
- Icy
- Illuminated
- Illusion
- Imagination
- Imp
- Impending
- Imposing
- Incantation
- Incense
- Inevitable
- Infamous
- Inferno
- Inhuman
- Inquisitive
- Insanity
- Insect
- Insidious
- Intangible
- Intense
- Intrigue
- Invitation
- Iridescent
Halloween Words Beginning With J:
- Jack-o’-lantern
- Jaded
- Jaded ghost
- Jagged
- Jamboree
- Jarring
- Jaunt
- Jaws
- Jazzed
- Jester
- Jet black
- Jigsaw
- Jinx
- Jittery
- Jockey
- Jointed skeleton
- Joker
- Jolt
- Joyful
- Judgment
- Juggler
- Juicy
- Jumble
- Jumpy
- Juxtaposition
Halloween Words Beginning With K:
- Kaleidoscope
- Keg party
- Kerchief
- Kettle
- Key
- Killer
- King
- Kiss of death
- Kisses
- Kit-Kat
- Kitchen witch
- Kitten costume
- Kneading
- Kneecap
- Knight
- Knit
- Knock-knock
- Knowledgeable
- Knuckles
- Kookaburra
- Kooky
- Kooky costume
- Kooky-crazy
- Kraken
- Kryptonite
Halloween Words Beginning With L:
- Labyrinth
- Lament
- Languor
- Lantern
- Lap of luxury
- Laughter
- Leaf pile
- Leatherface
- Legend
- Lethal
- Lethargy
- Lightning
- Limbo
- Little monsters
- Living dead
- Long shadow
- Lore
- Lovable
- Lullaby
- Luminous
- Lunar
- Lurid
- Lurker
- Lurking
- Lycanthropy
Halloween Words Beginning With M:
- Macabre
- Mad scientist
- Magic
- Malignant
- Mansion
- Mask
- Masked ball
- Masquerade
- Maze
- Midnight
- Mind-bending
- Mischievous
- Monster
- Monster mash
- Monster party
- Monster truck
- Moon
- Moonbeam
- Moonlit
- Mortuary
- Moth
- Mummy
- Murky
- Mystic
- Mystical
Halloween Words Beginning With N:
- Nasty
- Necromancy
- Necropolis
- Needle
- Nefarious
- Nervous
- Nervy
- Netherworld
- Netherworld portal
- Nevermore
- New moon
- Newt
- Night
- Night owl
- Night sky
- Night terror
- Nightfall
- Nightmare
- Nightmare fuel
- Nightmarish
- Nightshade
- Nihilistic
- Nocturnal
- Noxious
- Nudity
Halloween Words Beginning With O:
- Obscure
- Obsession
- Obsessive
- Obsidian
- Occult
- October
- Off-kilter
- Ogre
- Old witch
- Omen
- On the prowl
- Onyx
- Open casket
- Oppressive
- Oracle
- Orange
- Orange and black
- Organs
- Ouija board
- Out of body experience
- Outlandish
- Outrageous
- Over-the-top
- Overcast
- Owl
Halloween Words Beginning With P:
- Pale
- Panic
- Paranormal
- Paranormal activity
- Party
- Pentagram
- Perilous
- Petrify
- Phantom
- Pine
- Plague
- Playful
- Plunder
- Poison
- Polished
- Poltergeist
- Portal
- Possessed
- Potion
- Prank
- Prowler
- Psycho
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin patch
- Purgatory
Halloween Words Beginning With Q:
- Quack
- Quaint
- Quake
- Quarantine
- Quarterback
- Quash
- Quaver
- Queen
- Quell
- Quench
- Quest
- Quibble
- Quicken
- Quicksand
- Quill
- Quill pen
- Quilt
- Quilted
- Quip
- Quirky
- Quirky character
- Quirky costume
- Quiver
- Quiver in fear
- Quok
Halloween Words Beginning With R:
- Rabid
- Radiant
- Rancid
- Rascally
- Rattle
- Rattlesnake
- Raven
- Raven’s claw
- Ravenous
- Reaper
- Red moon
- Renegade
- Restless
- Resurrect
- Rhapsody
- RIP
- Ritual
- Roadkill
- Robe
- Room of horrors
- Rotten
- Rotten pumpkin
- Rubies
- Runaway
- Rusty
Halloween Words Beginning With S:
- Salem
- Sarcophagus
- Scarecrow
- Scaredy-cat
- Scary
- Scintillating
- Scream
- Severed
- Shadow
- Shriek
- Sinister
- Sizzling
- Skeleton
- Skull
- Slasher
- Sorcerer
- Specter
- Spells
- Spider
- Spine-chilling
- Spirit
- Spooky
- Supernatural
- Swamp
- Swamp monster
Halloween Words Beginning With T:
- Talisman
- Tarot
- Tattered
- Teal
- Tenebrae
- Tenebrous
- Terrible
- Terrifying
- Terror
- Thirsty
- Thirteen
- Thunder
- Tingle
- Tombstone
- Top hat
- Torment
- Tornado
- Toxic
- Transylvania
- Treat
- Trembling
- Trick
- Trick or treat
- Trickster
- Twilight
Halloween Words Beginning With U:
- Unabashed
- Unafraid
- Uncanny
- Uncensored
- Unchained
- Unconditional
- Undead
- Undying
- Unearth
- Unearthly
- Uneasy
- Unfathomable
- Unforgettable
- Unhinged
- Unholy
- Unhurried
- Uninvited
- Unique
- Unleashed
- Unmasked
- Unpredictable
- Unrelenting
- Unseen
- Unusual
- Unyielding
Halloween Words Beginning With V:
- Vampire
- Vampiress
- Vandal
- Vanish
- Vanquish
- Vast
- Vault
- Veil
- Vengeful
- Venom
- Vexing
- Vial
- Vibrant
- Vicious
- Vile
- Villain
- Viper
- Vision
- Visionary
- Voiceless
- Volcano
- Voodoo
- Voodoo doll
- Vortex
- Vulture
Halloween Words Beginning With W:
- Wacky
- Walnut
- Watchful
- Water
- Web
- Webslinger
- Werewolf
- Whimsical
- Whiskers
- Whisper
- Whispers in the dark
- Wicked
- Wild
- Wildcard
- Windy
- Witch
- Witches’ brew
- Wizard
- Wizardry
- Wolf
- Wolfman
- Wraith
- Wreath
- Wriggle
Halloween Words Beginning With X:
- X Marks the spot (for buried Halloween treasure)
- X-rated (horror movies)
- X-ray goggles
- X-ray vision
- X-rayed skeletons
- X-treme terror
- Xander the zombie
- Xanthophobia (fear of the color yellow)
- Xanthous (yellow or blonde)
- Xeno-cannibalism (eating of other species)
- Xenomorph
- Xenophobic (fear of strangers)
- Xeroderma (skin disease)
- Xerxes (Persian king, inspiration for 300)
- Xibalba (Mayan underworld)
- Xiphias (swordfish)
- Xiphoid (sword-like bone)
- Xylaria (fungus)
- Xylitol (toxic to dogs)
- Xylocaine (anesthetic)
- Xylocarp (woody fruit)
- Xyloglucan (polysaccharide in plant cell walls)
- Xylography (carving wood)
- Xyloid (wooden)
- Xylophone of death
Halloween Words Beginning With Y:
- Yarn of the damned
- Yawing maw of doom
- Yawn of the abyss
- Yawning grave
- Yawning portal to hell
- Yearning spirit
- Yelling banshee
- Yellow eyes
- Yellow fog
- Yellowed bones
- Yellowed eyes
- Yesteryear’s curse
- Yeti (abominable snowman)
- Yew (poisonous plant)
- Yggdrasil (Norse mythological tree)
- Yield to the darkness
- Yikes! A monster
- Yixing (Chinese zombie)
- Yoke of the undead
- Yonder crypt
- Youngling vampire
- Youthful apparitions
- Yuck factor
- Yuletide terror
- Yurei (Japanese ghost)
Halloween Words Beginning With Z:
- Zany ghosts
- Zany poltergeist
- Zapped to death
- Zapping energy
- Zapping lightning
- Zapping shockwaves
- Zapping thunderbolts
- Zapping volts of horror
- Zapping zombies
- Zealous haunting
- Zealous reaper
- Zen master of horror
- Zenith of fear
- Zephyr of death
- Zero-hour terror
- Zesty spirits
- Zesty terror
- Zillion skeletons
- Zinger of fear
- Zirconia fangs
- Zodiac of doom
- Zombie horde
- Zombified
- Zonal haunting
- Zoological nightmare
Fright Night Phrases in Britain and America
Halloween is celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic, but a few words change when you cross the ocean. Americans go trick-or-treating door to door; British children do the same thing but traditionally call it trick-or-treating too, while the older British custom of dressing up and performing for treats is called guising in Scotland.
Costume words split as well. In the United States, dressing up means wearing a costume; in Britain, the same idea is fancy dress, a phrase that confuses Americans because it sounds like formal evening wear. And while American kids carve a jack-o’-lantern from a pumpkin, children in parts of Britain traditionally carved turnips or swedes long before pumpkins arrived, a custom now charmingly remembered at Halloween.
Halloween Adjectives:
- Bloodcurdling
- Bone-chilling
- Creepy
- Eerie
- Frightful
- Ghastly
- Ghoulish
- Gruesome
- Hair-raising
- Haunting
- Horrifying
- Macabre
- Malevolent
- Menacing
- Nightmarish
- Petrifying
- Petrifying
- Shadowy
- Sinister
- Spine-chilling
- Spooky
- Supernatural
- Terrifying
- Uncanny
- Unsettling
Halloween Sight Words:
- Bat
- Black cat
- Boo
- Broom
- Candy
- Cauldron
- Costume
- Frankenstein
- Ghost
- Haunted
- Hocus Pocus
- Jack-o-lantern
- Monster
- Moon
- Mummy
- Pumpkin
- Scarecrow
- Skeleton
- Spider
- Tombstone
- Trick-or-treat
- Vampire
- Werewolf
- Witch
- Zombie
Terms for Halloween:
- All Hallows’ Eve
- Apple bobbing
- Black magic
- Bonfire night
- Boo basket
- Candy apple
- Carving pumpkins
- Costumes
- Creepy crawlies
- Dia de los Muertos
- Ghost stories
- Graveyard
- Grim reaper
- Halloween party
- Halloweentown
- Harvest festival
- Haunted house
- Masquerade
- Monster mash
- Pumpkin patch
- Samhain
- Scary movie marathon
- Skeleton key
- Spooky season
- Trick or treating
Scary Ghost Words:
- Apparition
- Banshee
- Creepy
- Deathly
- Demonic
- Ectoplasm
- Entity
- Frightening
- Haunting
- Macabre
- Malevolent
- Manifestation
- Omen
- Phantom
- Poltergeist
- Possession
- Residual
- Shade
- Shadowy
- Specter
- Spirit
- Spooky
- Supernatural
- Terrifying
- Wraith
Scary Halloween Words:
- Abomination
- Blood-curdling
- Coven
- Crypt
- Dark magic
- Demonic
- Devilish
- Ghostly
- Ghoulish
- Gruesome
- Haunted
- Jack the Ripper
- Macabre
- Nightmare
- Ouija board
- Possession
- Ritual
- Sacrifice
- Scarecrow
- Skeleton
- Supernatural
- Voodoo
- Werewolf
- Witchcraft
- Zombie
Spooky Words:
- Bewitching
- Bizarre
- Chilling
- Creepy
- Cryptic
- Eerie
- Enchanting
- Gothic
- Haunting
- Macabre
- Magical
- Mysterious
- Mystical
- Ominous
- Otherworldly
- Phantom
- Shadowy
- Sinister
- Spine-tingling
- Strange
- Surreal
- Twilight
- Uncanny
- Whimsical
- Wicked
Catchy Halloween Phrases:
- Boos and booze!
- Double, double toil and trouble!
- Eat, drink, and be scary!
- Fangs for the memories.
- Ghoul just wanna have fun.
- Happy Halloween, witches!
- Have a spooktacular Halloween!
- Hey there, pumpkin!
- I’m a treat, not a trick!
- I’m here for the boos!
- It’s alive!
- Keep calm and scare on!
- Let’s get wicked!
- Out of candy? Boo, humbug!
- Pumpkin spice and everything spooky!
- Resting witch face.
- Scary good time!
- Shiver me timbers!
- Something wicked this way comes.
- Spooktacularly sweet!
- Too cute to spook!
- Trick or treat yo’ self!
- Witch better have my candy.
- Witchful drinking!
- Witchful thinking.
Cute Halloween Phrases:
- Boo-tiful!
- Cutest pumpkin in the patch!
- Fang-tastic!
- Ghostly greetings!
- Gourd-geous!
- Happy Halloweenie!
- Hey boo-tiful!
- I’m here for the treats!
- It’s a brew-tiful day!
- Keep calm and carry a wand.
- Let’s get batty!
- Let’s get sheet-faced!
- Little pumpkin on the way.
- Meow-lloween!
- Mummy’s little monster.
- Pumpkin kisses and harvest wishes.
- Scary cute!
- Spook-tacular!
- Sweet and spooky!
- Too cute to spook!
- Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!
- Witch way to the candy?
- Witchin’ you a happy Halloween!
- You’re a hoot!
- You’re fa-BOO-lous!
5 Letter Halloween Words:
- Bathe
- Blood
- Bones
- Booze
- Ghost
- Gloom
- Grave
- Haunt
- Magic
- Monster
- Night
- Party
- Scare
- Scream
- Skull
- Slime
- Spicy
- Spook
- Super
- Sweet
- Tasty
- Tomb
- Treat
- Witch
- Zombie
Your First Ten Halloween Words
New to Halloween vocabulary? Start here. These ten words unlock most of what you will hear every October, and each one comes with a quick way to say it and a plain meaning.
| Word | How to say it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Apparition | ap-uh-RISH-un | A ghostly figure that appears suddenly. |
| Costume | KOS-toom | Clothes worn to look like someone or something else. |
| Eerie | EER-ee | Strange and a little frightening. |
| Haunted | HAWN-ted | Visited by ghosts; full of spooky feelings. |
| Jack-o’-lantern | JAK-uh-lan-tern | A carved pumpkin with a candle or light inside. |
| Potion | POH-shun | A magic liquid, often brewed by a witch. |
| Skeleton | SKEL-uh-tun | The bony frame of a body; a classic costume. |
| Spooky | SPOO-kee | Scary in a fun, ghostly way. |
| Trick-or-treat | TRIK-or-TREET | The Halloween custom of asking for candy at doors. |
| Witch | wich | A woman with magic powers in stories and costumes. |
Ten Halloween Words in Sentences
- The haunted house at the end of our street turns off all its lights on Halloween night.
- We carved a grinning jack-o’-lantern and set it on the porch for every trick-or-treat visitor.
- Her witch costume came with a tall hat, a broom, and a bubbling green potion.
- A plastic skeleton rattled in the wind above the candy bowl.
- The old barn felt eerie after the sun went down.
Notice how each bold word does double duty: it carries the Halloween meaning and it teaches you a useful everyday word like costume, lantern, and potion.
Halloween Word FAQs for English Learners
What are some common Halloween words?
The classic ten are apparition, costume, eerie, haunted, jack-o’-lantern, potion, skeleton, spooky, trick-or-treat, and witch. The table above explains each one in plain English.
What does trick-or-treat mean?
Trick-or-treat is what children shout at the door on Halloween night. It means “give us a treat (candy), or we will play a trick on you,” though today it is simply a cheerful request for sweets.
What is a jack-o’-lantern?
A jack-o’-lantern is a pumpkin (in Britain, traditionally a turnip) that has been hollowed out, carved with a face, and lit from inside with a candle. The name comes from an old Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack.
What is the difference between spooky, scary, and creepy?
All three describe fear, but at different volumes. Spooky is light and fun, like a ghost story for kids. Scary is stronger and works for anything frightening. Creepy adds a shiver of disgust, like a doll that seems to watch you.
Where does the word Halloween come from?
Halloween is short for All Hallows’ Eve, the evening before All Hallows’ Day (All Saints’ Day) on November 1. Over centuries, “All Hallows’ Eve” shrank into Halloween.
