Gearing up for some Halloween writing activities? You’ll want this list of evocative Halloween words to share with your students. Start by grabbing the free printables, then try some of our favorite Halloween activities for all ages.
Jump to:
Words for Halloween Creatures
- alien
- apparition
- bat
- black cat
- boogeyman
- crow
- demon
- devil
- Dracula
- Frankenstein
- ghost
- ghoul
- goblin
- Grim Reaper
- hobgoblin
- imp
- jackal
- leech
- monster
- mummy
- ogre
- owl
- phantom
- poltergeist
- rat
- raven
- scarecrow
- shape-shifter
- skeleton
- sorcerer
- specter
- spider
- spirit
- tarantula
- toad
- troll
- vampire
- vermin
- werewolf
- witch
- wizard
- wraith
- zombie
Halloween Words About Fear
- afraid
- alarming
- bizarre
- blood-curdling
- bloody
- chilling
- creepy
- eerie
- evil
- fright
- ghastly
- gory
- grim
- grisly
- gruesome
- haunted
- horrible
- horrify
- horror
- jittery
- lurid
- lurk
- macabre
- morbid
- nasty
- nefarious
- nightmare
- ominous
- petrify
- quake
- qualm
- quaver
- quiver
- repulsive
- revolting
- scary
- scream
- shiver
- shriek
- sinister
- terrible
- terrify
- terror
- thrilling
- tremble
- unnerving
- vile
- weird
- wicked
- yell
- yowl
Halloween Words About Death
- bones
- boneyard
- cadaver
- casket
- cemetery
- coffin
- corpse
- dead
- epitaph
- graveyard
- headstone
- killer
- lifeless
- mausoleum
- netherworld
- RIP (rest in peace)
- skull
- tombstone
- undead
- undertaker
- urn
- vault
- victim
Halloween Words About Witches and Wizards
- broomstick
- cackle
- cauldron
- hocus-pocus
- incantation
- invisible
- jinx
- kettle
- lair
- legend
- magic
- potion
- ritual
- spell
- supernatural
- ugly
- unearthly
- vanish
- voodoo
- wand
Fun Halloween Words
- autumn
- costume
- decoration
- disguise
- fall
- fog
- jack-o’-lantern
- lantern
- mask
- Monster Mash
- nocturnal
- October
- orange
- pumpkin
- quiet
- shadow
- twilight
- whisper
Halloween Activities
- bobbing for apples
- bonfire
- carving
- corn maze
- costume contest
- costume party
- dress up
- games
- ghost story
- haunted house
- hayride
- masquerade
- party
- prank
- prowl
- pumpkin patch
- trick-or-treat
Halloween Food and Drink Words
- apple cider
- apples
- candy
- candy apple
- candy corn
- chocolate
- cocoa
- gummy worms
- hot chocolate
- popcorn ball
- pumpkin pie
- pumpkin seeds
- spicy
- sugar
- sweet
- treats
More Halloween Words
- boo
- cobweb
- dark
- enchanting
- eyeball
- eye patch
- fangs
- flashlight
- haunt
- howl
- icky
- inferno
- jet-black
- knife
- knock
- laboratory
- midnight
- mist
- moonlight
- mutilate
- mysterious
- night
- ooze
- possessed
- quagmire
- rancid
- rattle
- reek
- rotten
- séance
- slaughter
- slimy
- spooky
- Transylvania
- vengeance
- venom
- will-o’-the-wisp
- wretched
- X-ray
- yuck
How To Use Halloween Words in the Classroom
There are so many ways to use these creative words with your students. Some ideas you might try:
Word Wall
Printable cards make it easy to build your own Halloween-themed word wall! Post options that kids can use in writing activities, journal entries, and more. Learn more about word walls here.
Build Vocabulary
Have students pick 10 words from the list that are new to them. Then use those words for your weekly vocab activities. Need some new vocab ideas? Check out this big list of vocabulary activities for every grade.
Compose Poems
Whether kids write Halloween poetry that’s spine-chillingly scary or funny and sweet, they’ll need lots of the words found on this list. Read these Halloween poems first for inspiration.
Make a Bulletin Board
Fill a bulletin board with Halloween icons like ghosts, pumpkins, and bats, each featuring their own word from the list. Explore these Halloween bulletin boards and doors for more ideas.
Write Short Stories
First, read some of the best spooky stories from masters of the craft like Poe and Lovecraft. Then, challenge kids to write their own, using as many words from the list as they can. Here are 10 scary short stories kids and teens will love.
Respond to Writing Prompts
Give students prompts related to Halloween, and encourage them to incorporate the words found below in their writing. Here are 20 spooky writing prompts plus free printable Halloween writing paper!
Get your free Halloween word printables!
Print copies of the Halloween word list and cards and hand them out to students to use for writing assignments, vocabulary practice, and more. Just click the button below to share your email address and get instant access. Then share your ideas for using it in our We Are Teachers Helpline Facebook group.
