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

Javonte Green, Cavaliers Green turns 32 in June and shot a career-worst 42.9 percent from the floor in 2024-25, but those numbers were skewed by playing in some ghastly Pelicans lineups before his buyout. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 19 June 2025

That sort of homey detail and Karl’s cheerful disposition belie the ghastly stories that her memory holds, the ones her guest has come to hear — and capture on film. —Christine Dimattei, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025

The stop-motion feature explores the same sense of disavowed disconnect between daily life under Augusto Pinochet and the ghastly deeds carried out by his regime. —John Hopewell, Variety, 12 June 2025

Tyler Higbee’s ghastly knee injury in the 2023 season’s playoff game at Detroit, followed by reconstructive surgery, shouldn’t be as limiting as a year ago. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 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