1
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a ghastly murder that shocked even hard-bitten detectives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
I'm afraid that there's been a ghastly misunderstanding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in terrifying
causing fear
a ghastly crime that made local residents afraid to go out at night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ghastly
The burial pit was a ghastly scene.
—
Outside, 10 Dec. 2025
Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Smith also discusses how Carol’s morally questionable behavior challenges the traditional definition of a hero, before addressing episode five’s ghastly cliffhanger.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
Last Week Tonight should always end its (usually incredibly distressing) shows with something people can do to stop whatever ghastly thing is the week’s topic.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
These women are more than happy to say ghastly things about each other on camera.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Outside, 10 Dec. 2025
Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Smith also discusses how Carol’s morally questionable behavior challenges the traditional definition of a hero, before addressing episode five’s ghastly cliffhanger.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
Last Week Tonight should always end its (usually incredibly distressing) shows with something people can do to stop whatever ghastly thing is the week’s topic.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
These women are more than happy to say ghastly things about each other on camera.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly
Adjective
-
When a spate of gruesome killings that resemble a decades-old crime rock a small town, disgraced detective Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun) has a chance to restore his reputation with the help of young upstart investigator Han Joo-won (Yeo Jin-goo).—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Bianca Belair has been out of action since WrestleMania 41 in April 2025 after suffering a gruesome finger injury.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This period of intense study laid the groundwork for what would later become known as the Korean New Wave.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Shares fell during his time in government but rebounded sharply in December, reaching a record high amid intense market interest in AI.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Pregnancy and birth carry its own battles and terrifying statistics.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The editorial board then throws in the new scare tactic for good measure at the end, claiming that there is some terrifying epidemic of puking, screaming and hospitalizations as the result of THC use (relying on spotty data, none of which has been linked to THC beverages).—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With the partial restoration of internet access, people inside the country and others who have left in recent days shared videos and stories with ABC News that shows the horrific nature of the regime's suppression of the protests.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Syria’s horrific civil war killed more than 500,000 people over a 14-year period starting in 2011.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The tech could have an outsized effect on knowledge workers by automating the repetitive, data-intensive cognitive tasks that typically define those white-collar roles.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, was shot earlier this month while sitting in her car, while Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse, was killed in a separate encounter just over two weeks later.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Are there horrible smells wafting around?—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
As buried family secrets and small-town lies emerge, Courtney must decide who to trust before a shocking revelation changes everything.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Louisiana State Police announced on Saturday the capture of all eight inmates who escaped early Friday in a shocking East Carroll Parish jailbreak.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Huw is also a terrible planner, placing himself in dangerous situations for no discernible reason, refusing to ask for help or call the police at times when calling the police is the most glaringly obvious move, and generally not communicating with anyone.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
At age 55, Riggle once suffered through decades of heartbreak and terrible Chiefs teams.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
