ghastly

adjective

ghast·​ly ˈgast-lē How to pronounce ghastly (audio)
ghastlier; ghastliest
Synonyms of ghastly
1
a
: terrifyingly horrible to the senses : frightening
a ghastly crime
b
: intensely unpleasant, disagreeable, or objectionable
… such a life seems ghastly in its emptiness and sterility.—Aldous Huxley
2
: resembling a ghost
3
: very great
a ghastly mistake
4
obsolete : filled with fear
ghastliness noun
ghastly adverb

Synonyms of ghastly

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ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre, lurid mean horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect.

ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder
suffered a gruesome death

macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

Examples of ghastly in a Sentence

You're making a ghastly mistake. His room was a ghastly mess.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The brisk, nasty chill cast by the film may prove divisive; ditto its unapologetically ghastly characters. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 June 2026 He's described as a dead ringer for Nicholas Cage's ghastly villain in Longlegs, and there Elliott sits at a bus stop, looking as freakish as ever. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026 From a certain perspective, the traps that Ibsen had laid for his characters were hilariously well made, and the one character who got the ghastly humor within the play itself was Hedda. — Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 There’s no ghastly passenger touchscreen, no dimwitted haptic touchpads and no infuriating AI assistant. — Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ghastly

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gastly, from gasten to terrify — more at gast

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ghastly was in the 14th century

Rhymes for ghastly

See All Rhymes for ghastly

Browse Nearby Words

ghastliness
ghastly
ghat
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Cite this Entry

“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghastly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ghastly

adjective
ghast·​ly ˈgast-lē How to pronounce ghastly (audio)
ghastlier; ghastliest
1
a
: horrible sense 1, shocking
a ghastly crime
b
: very unpleasant, disagreeable, or objectionable
2
: resembling a ghost
a ghastly face
ghastliness noun
ghastly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ghastly

Nglish: Translation of ghastly for Spanish Speakers

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