ghastly

Frequently Asked Questions About ghastly

How is the word ghastly different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of ghastly are grisly, gruesome, lurid, and macabre. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How do grisly and gruesome relate to one another, in the sense of ghastly?

Both grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

How are the words lurid and gruesome related as synonyms of ghastly?

Lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

When might macabre be a better fit than ghastly?

Although the words macabre and ghastly have much in common, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial