ghastly

1 of 2

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

: very great

a ghastly mistake

4

obsolete : filled with fear

ghastliness noun

ghastly adverb

ghastliness

2 of 2

noun

ghast·​li·​ness

-tlēnə̇s, 

-tlin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being ghastly

the ghastliness of the monster with its popeyes, gaping mouth, and horns

—L. E. Schmeckebier

Synonyms of ghastly

Adjective

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

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

Adjective

You're making a ghastly mistake.

His room was a ghastly mess.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Avoiding vulnerability comes with ghastly consequences. —David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 8 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

The Spurs were a ghastly 11 of 46 from the perimeter, sullying an otherwise analytically pristine shot chart that included only four non-paint 2s. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026

The brisk, nasty chill cast by the film may prove divisive; ditto its unapologetically ghastly characters. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

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