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 printable, then try some of our favorite Halloween activities for all ages.
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:
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!
Halloween Word List
Halloween Words That Start With A
- Afraid
- Alarming
- Alien
- Apparition
- Autumn
Halloween Words That Start With B
- Bats
- Bizarre
- Black cat
- Blood-curdling
- Bloody
- Bones
- Boneyard
- Boo
- Boogeyman
- Broomstick
Halloween Words That Start With C
- Cackle
- Cadaver
- Candy corn
- Carve
- Casket
- Cauldron
- Cemetery
- Chilling
- Cobweb
- Coffin
- Corpse
- Costume
- Creepy
- Crow
Halloween Words That Start With D
- Dark
- Dead
- Demon
- Devil
- Disguise
- Dracula
Halloween Words That Start With E
- Eerie
- Enchanting
- Epitaph
- Evil
- Eyeball
- Eye patch
Halloween Words That Start With F
- Fall
- Fangs
- Flashlight
- Fog
- Frankenstein
- Fright
Halloween Words That Start With G
- Ghastly
- Ghost
- Ghoul
- Goblin
- Gory
- Graveyard
- Grim
- Grisly
- Gruesome
Halloween Words That Start With H
- Haunted
- Hayride
- Headstone
- Hobgoblin
- Hocus-pocus
- Horrible
- Horrify
- Howl
Halloween Words That Start With I
- Icky
- Imp
- Incantation
- Inferno
- Invisible
Halloween Words That Start With J
- Jackal
- Jack-o’-lantern
- Jet-black
- Jinx
- Jittery
Halloween Words That Start With K
- Kettle
- Killer
- Knife
- Knock
- Kooky
Halloween Words That Start With L
- Laboratory
- Lair
- Lantern
- Leech
- Legend
- Lifeless
- Lurid
- Lurk
Halloween Words That Start With M
- Macabre
- Magic
- Mask
- Masquerade
- Mausoleum
- Midnight
- Mist
- Monster
- Moonlight
- Morbid
- Mummy
- Mutilate
- Mysterious
Halloween Words That Start With N
- Nasty
- Nefarious
- Netherworld
- Night
- Nightmare
- Nocturnal
Halloween Words That Start With O
- October
- Ogre
- Ominous
- Ooze
- Orange
- Owl
Halloween Words That Start With P
- Party
- Petrify
- Phantom
- Poltergeist
- Possessed
- Potion
- Prank
- Prowl
- Pumpkin
Halloween Words That Start With Q
- Quagmire
- Quake
- Qualm
- Quaver
- Quiet
- Quiver
Halloween Words That Start With R
- Rancid
- Rat
- Rattle
- Raven
- Reek
- Repulsive
- Revolting
- RIP
- Ritual
- Rotten
Halloween Words That Start With S
- Scarecrow
- Scary
- Scream
- Séance
- Shadow
- Shape-shifter
- Shiver
- Shriek
- Sinister
- Skeleton
- Skull
- Slaughter
- Slimy
- Sorcerer
- Specter
- Spell
- Spider
- Spirit
- Spooky
- Supernatural
Halloween Words That Start With T
- Tarantula
- Terrible
- Terrify
- Terror
- Thrilling
- Toad
- Tombstone
- Transylvania
- Tremble
- Trick-or-treat
- Troll
- Twilight
Halloween Words That Start With U
- Ugly
- Undead
- Undertaker
- Unearthly
- Unnerving
- Urn
Halloween Words That Start With V
- Vampire
- Vanish
- Vault
- Vengeance
- Venom
- Vermin
- Victim
- Vile
- Vixen
- Voodoo
Halloween Words That Start With W
- Wand
- Weird
- Werewolf
- Whisper
- Wicked
- Will-o’-the-wisp
- Witch
- Wizard
- Wraith
- Wretched
Halloween Words That Start With X, Y, and Z
- X-ray
- Yell
- Yowl
- Yuck
- Zombie
Get your free Halloween words printable
Print copies and hand 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 to the list. Then share your ideas for using it on our We Are Teachers Helpline Facebook group.