ghastly

adjective

ghast·​ly ˈgast-lē 

ghastlier; ghastliest

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

obsolete : filled with fear

4

: very great

a ghastly mistake

ghastliness noun

ghastly adverb

Synonyms

• gruesome
• horrific
• shocking
• nightmare
• horrible
• terrible
• horrifying

Choose the Right Synonym for ghastly

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

The Phantom of the Opera (1925) is a benchmark for the ghastly horrors that accompany unrequited love, and Chaney's twisted character will go to absurd lengths to have his way. —Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025

Golden State committed 20 turnovers, a ghastly 14 of them in the first half. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025

A day later, the inevitable became reality as the Beavers fired coach Trent Bray following another ghastly loss in a gruesome season. —Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2025

The third inning played out similarly to how the ghastly Game 5 of the 2024 World Series did for the Yankees. —Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for ghastly

• lastly
• vastly
• steadfastly

Kids Definition

ghastly

adjective

ghast·​ly ˈgast-lē 

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