as in horror
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
the ghastliness of the Holocaust can scarcely be described
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Recent Examples of ghastliness
No amount of gore or ghastliness is off limits for the series, produced by horror champions Blumhouse, as Nicole Kidman's titular medical examiner pores over the remains of the dead.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastliness
Noun
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Three years after Amanda Nell Eu heralded a new generation of Malaysian filmmakers with her 2023 Cannes Critics Week Grand Prize winner Tiger Stripes, supernatural horror Baran by compatriot Joel Soh’s Baran is also being tipped as for potential Cannes splash.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
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On paper, that’s the kind of success that suggests the Academy has finally accepted horror as a creative force here to stay.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This is a story that traces the path to justice for mass atrocity in the face of public acquiescence.—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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Violence in the backcountry between Americans and Native people intensified, fueled by rhetoric justifying atrocities and the expulsion of Indigenous nations to address Americans’ demand for new land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Perhaps its incorporation of vogue ideas dazzles critics who might otherwise discern its awfulness (Amazon’s Transparent).—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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There is no way to sugarcoat the awfulness of those months of anxiety.—
Kate Callen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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What makes your own skin crawl isn’t just the hideousness of the violence but the unblinking matter-of-factness with which DaCosta films it.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ghastliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastliness. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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