Are you working to develop spooky words to keep your readers on the edge of their seats? Here are 31 spooky adjectives to add to your vocabulary.
If you’re searching for words related to spooky, you’re likely in the middle of crafting a spine-tingling tale that will keep your readers on the hook, ready to find out what happens next. Using word lists is a smart way to figure out how to vary your vocabulary when writing and can help you find the exact phrases that you need to convey your thoughts to your readers in your creative writing.
When you’re searching for spooky adjectives, you need words that won’t just help your reader picture the black cat entering the scene. Instead, they’ll help your reader feel the chill in the air on all hallows eve, hearing faint cackles in the distance while a spine-chilling midnight-colored feline howls just around the corner.
You’ll want to keep this list and your thesaurus on hand as you search for spooky-related words. Happy writing!
31 Spooky Words To Up The Scare Factor In Your Writing
| Bloodcurdling | Gory | Macabre |
| Phantasm | Unsettling | Ominous |
| Otherworldly | Supernatural | Eerie |
| Chilling | Mysterious | Puzzling |
|
Spectral | Fearsome | Unusual |
| Uncanny | Unearthly |
Bizarre |
| Creepy | Spookish | Haunting |
| Alarming | Sinister | Wicked |
| Petrifying | Haunted | Menacing |
| Ghastly | Twisted | Looming |
31 Spooky Adjectives
These 31 spooky adjectives with example sentences will be helpful when you’re writing any horror story, scary poem or limerick, or piece of Halloween creative writing.
Use these exciting and descriptive adjectives to enhance your writing.
You might also enjoy our gothic literature explainer.
1. Bloodcurdling
Example: She let out a bloodcurdling scream when she saw the ghost standing in front of her.
2. Gory
Example: His leg was gory and bloody from the injuries.
4. Macabre
Example: The detectives found a macabre scene inside the apartment where the murder happened.
5. Phantasm
Example: The phantasm was unidentifiable; is it a ghost? A demon? or maybe I imagined it…
6. Unsettling
Example: The haunted house was unsettling, I could feel eyes on me, but no one was there.
7. Ominous
Example: The fog was ominous as it rolled over the hills, something was beginning, and I felt scared.
8. Otherworldly
Example: This being was otherworldly; it had green skin, one eye, and reptilian skin. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
9. Supernatural
Example: This is a supernatural world with wizards, witches, and mysterious beings with supernatural powers.
10. Eerie
Example: His eyes glowed in the dark; it felt eerie and unsettling.
11. Chilling
Example: As we sat around the campfire, we told chilling ghost stories that spooked me all night long.
12. Mysterious
Example: She died under mysterious circumstances, we don’t know what happened, and it doesn’t add up.
13. Puzzling
Example: The evidence was puzzling, and the detectives struggled to piece together what happened at the crime scene.
14. Spectral
Example: The old lady was so unwell; she had a spectral, ghostly appearance.
15. Fearsome
Example: His bellowing voice and aggressive nature were fearsome for all who encountered him.
16. Unusual
Example: It was an unusual and strange building; something was not quite right inside.
17. Uncanny
Example: The resemblance was uncanny; this was an identical clone of the mad scientist.
18. Unearthly
Example: The spaceship had an unearthly vibe; it felt clinical and futuristic, like nothing I had seen before.
19. Bizarre
Example: The way he spoke was bizarre; it was as if he was avoiding answering the questions and hiding something.
20. Creepy
Example: The graveyard was creepy at night, and I wouldn’t say I liked walking alone.
21. Spookish
Example: The spookish interior of the mansion was eerie and creepy; it is definitely haunted.
22. Haunting
Example: The way he told the story was haunting; I was shaken to my core.
23. Alarming
Example: The fire was spreading at an alarming rate, and we had to run for our lives.
24. Sinister
Example: His evil laugh was sinister and bellowed through the halls.
25. Wicked
Example: It was a wicked thing to do, to steal money from the poor.
26. Petrifying
Example: When I saw the ghost, it was petrifying.
27. Haunted
Example: The house was haunted by the awful things that happened here.
28. Menacing
Example: They had a menacing glare; I could tell they were plotting their revenge.
29. Ghastly
Example: It was a ghastly mistake; I wish it had never happened.
30. Twisted
Example: I could see his twisted mind coming up with his next dastardly scheme.
31. Looming
Example: The stress of the events was looming over me; I couldn’t forget what had happened.
Interesting in learning more? Check out our list of 400 descriptive words!
Join over 15,000 writers today
Get a FREE book of writing prompts and learn how to make more money from your writing.