1
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a ghastly murder that shocked even hard-bitten detectives
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
I'm afraid that there's been a ghastly misunderstanding
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3
as in terrifying
causing fear
a ghastly crime that made local residents afraid to go out at night
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ghastly
The director Mauricio Eça films Francisco’s brutal assaults in close-up, giving us ghastly views of what the creep sees through bulging eyes.
—
Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
The Rangers did just enough wrong to have to sweat this one out, with a few ghastly turnovers, a short-handed goal against and another o-fer on the power play, which is 2 for its last 41.
—Arthur Staple, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
At age 6, little Richie Starkey contracted a ghastly case of peritonitis.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
The house comes with some very bad mojo, and was the site of a ghastly murder of a previous family that lived there.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
The Rangers did just enough wrong to have to sweat this one out, with a few ghastly turnovers, a short-handed goal against and another o-fer on the power play, which is 2 for its last 41.
—Arthur Staple, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
At age 6, little Richie Starkey contracted a ghastly case of peritonitis.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
The house comes with some very bad mojo, and was the site of a ghastly murder of a previous family that lived there.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly
Adjective
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Surely Yellowstone, with its large predators and geothermal activity will deliver something gruesome.—
Wes Siler,
Outside Online,
19 Apr. 2025
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Realizing that the price of Remmick's offer is their souls, the living make a desperate last stand that results in the gruesome deaths of everyone but Smoke and Sammie.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by her guitar to hundreds or thousands of people − at a small venue or an awards show − Lafourcade's performances feel visceral, intense and intimate all at once.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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In place of intense (and potentially irritating) acids, Mediheal's Madecassoside Blemish Pads target breakouts and breakout-causing bacteria with anti-inflammatory powerhouses madecassoside and cica.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The teaser trailer showcases the epic highs and lows of professional football, with a focus on the lows, as all of this looks terrifying.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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The teaser does feature a glimpse at Calypso, the man who hosts the tournament, as well as a signature laugh from Sweet Tooth the terrifying clown.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission.—
Danielle Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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Of course, some eight hundred thousand did die—many in horrific ways—while the formerly enslaved were left to fend for themselves in a postwar state where apartheid was enforced by terror.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Historically, Google has had a less intensive quality control processes than Apple which has meant more low-end apps make it through to the storefront.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
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For now, these lands could be converted to intensive residential, commercial or industrial development.—
Reed Frederick Noss,
The Conversation,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One of our group hunted it on a rainy afternoon — traditionally a horrible time to bag a bird — and killed a 3-year-old tom. —A.M. Don’t Become Overly Reliant on Your Cameras Cameras aren’t magic.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
1 May 2025
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Big, wonderful, funny, horrible, strange, sad, great life.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Then, in 1903, news broke of a shocking massacre in the town of Kishinev, in the southwestern reaches of the Russian Empire.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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Now a shocking new report has revealed the true extent to which the communication threat extends, with a staggering 30 malicious emails a day arriving on average.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Public interest in the film intensified after a stroke of terrible happenstance.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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United have fallen massively and it’s been a terrible watch all season, bar a couple of highs.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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