Happy Halloween! What exactly is a ghoul and how is it different from a zombie?

Answer 1

There are a zillion (approx) definitions for both, but in general, a zombie is a reanimated corpse that feeds on brains, while a ghoul is a still living creature that feeds on human flesh.

Zombie = dead & eats brains
Ghoul = alive & eats all flesh

Answer 2

A zombie is an undead person in the Afro-Caribbean and Creole spiritual belief system of Vodoun (otherwise known as Voo-Doo in America). These folkloric zombies are humans who have had their "Ti Bon Ange" or soul stolen by supernatural means and shamanic medicine, and are forced to work for their "zombie master" as uncomplaining slaves on isolated plantations. Other more macabre versions of zombies have become a staple of modern horror fiction, where they usually engage in human cannibalism.

A ghoul is a monster from ancient Arabian folklore that dwells in graveyards and other uninhabited places. The English word comes from the Arabic name for the creature: الغول ghūl, which literally means "demon". The ghul is a devilish type of jinn believed to be sired by Iblis.

The female form is given as "ghouleh" in Muhawi and Kanaana (see ref below). The plural is "ghilan".

Ghul is also the name for a desert-dwelling, shapeshifting demon that can assume the guise of an animal, especially a hyena. It lures unwary travellers into the desert wastes to slay and devour them. The creature also preys on young children, robs graves, and eats the dead. Because of the latter habit, the word ghoul is sometimes used to refer to an ordinary human such as a grave robber, or to anyone who delights in the macabre. The term has also been used to describe cannibals such as Jeffrey Dahmer.

Answer 3

A ghoul is an evil spirit or phantom, esp. one supposed to rob graves and feed on dead bodies.

A zombie is 1 originally, a snake-deity of or deriving from West Africa and Haiti. 2 a soulless corpse said to be revived by witchcraft, esp. in certain African and Caribbean religions.