Get Ready for Halloween with These Spooky Words!
Halloween (31 October) is a fun and exciting time of year, filled with costumes, spooky decorations and plenty of sweets. But do you know the English words to describe all the creepy things you see? In this post, I’ll teach you some useful Halloween vocabulary that will help you talk about the holiday like a native speaker. Let’s dive into the world of ghosts, witches and pumpkins!
Essential Halloween words
Here are some useful words to talk about spooky things in English. How many do you know? Try to learn them using the pictures. Cover the word and test yourself.
10 more advanced Halloween words/phrases
1. Creepy
Definition: Something that makes you feel uneasy or scared.
Example: The creepy sounds coming from the attic made everyone shiver.
2. Haunted
Definition: A place where ghosts are believed to live.
Example: They say the old house on the hill is haunted by a family of ghosts.
3. Ghoulish
Definition: Something spooky or related to death, often in a playful way.
Example: His ghoulish costume scared everyone at the Halloween party.
4. Jack-o’-lantern
Definition: A carved pumpkin with a face, lit by a candle inside.
Example: The glowing jack-o’-lanterns lined the street, giving the night a spooky feel.
5. Spooky
Definition: Something that’s a bit scary and feels like there may be ghosts.
Example: We decorated the house with spooky cobwebs and skeletons for Halloween.
6. Eerie
Definition: Strange and mysterious, in a way that makes you a little scared.
Example: The eerie silence in the forest made us want to leave right away.
8. Trick or Treat
Definition: A Halloween tradition where children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door asking for sweets.
Example: The kids yelled “Trick or treat!” at every house, hoping to fill their bags with sweets.
7. Broomstick
Definition: A long-handled brush, often linked with witches who fly on them in stories.
Example: The witch hopped on her broomstick and flew off into the night sky.
9. Werewolf
Definition: A person who can change into a wolf during a full moon.
Example: The werewolf howled at the full moon, its eyes glowing in the darkness.
10. Potion
Definition: A magical liquid, often used by witches or wizards.
Example: The wizard’s potion promised to make anyone invisible for a day.
How is Halloween celebrated in the UK?
Halloween in the UK is a fun time of year, celebrated on the evening of October 31st.
Many people, especially children, enjoy dressing up in costumes ranging from spooky ghosts and witches to superheroes and funny characters.
Traditional activities include carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, which are often displayed in windows to scare away evil spirits.
Trick-or-treating has become increasingly popular, with children visiting neighbours to collect sweets and treats.
Some also enjoy hosting Halloween parties with games like bobbing for apples.
While Halloween in the UK has ancient traditions, it has evolved into a celebration that brings communities together to enjoy the fun and fright of the season.
Click here to learn more about our Halloween traditions.
Learn English with these scary stories
Perfect for Halloween, improve your comprehension, vocabulary and confidence by reading these SPOOKY stories. They are adapted and the English is at your level.
Useful for my classes. Thanks!
You’re very welcome. Come back for more vocabulary soon.