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Synonym Chooser

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

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 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 When the man is hauled to Dachau, Charlotte considers this a stroke of luck—a moment that most reveals the ghastly darkness of Charlotte’s heart, but not the last. Diana Arterian june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025 The fungus that hijacks ants like a ghastly marionette Penn State The humble carpenter ant is the unsuspecting victim of this nightmare. New Atlas, 12 Apr. 2025 And the usually sure-handed Terps committed some ghastly errors at inopportune times. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly
Adjective
  • Accounts of government and police repression have only gotten more gruesome, with Amnesty Kenya reporting that 16 people have been shot and killed as of June 28 and local officials claiming that hundreds have been injured (while also alleging that most of those hurt were police officers).
    Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
  • Forget turning on some gruesome horror movie: reading the daily headlines is enough to make just about anyone scream.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Early Friday morning, intense rain caused flash flooding across Texas Hill Country.
    Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
  • There were several safety cars during the race, along with changing conditions with periods of intense rain followed by a drying track.
    Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • When the body of a young man is found eerily staged in the idyllic Scottish wilderness, detective Monica Kennedy fears this is just the beginning of a terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of a rural community.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
  • The terrifying moment that passengers were made to put on oxygen masks was captured on video.
    Latoya Gayle, People.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Throughout the Holocaust, the Nazis concentrated European Jews in urban ghettos, which were marked by horrific living conditions, forced labor and the threat of execution.
    Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 30 June 2025
  • And that's a tough sell to a jury that spent weeks listening to horrific testimony about Diddy and his empire.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • Designed to withstand intensive training, Lacoste’s abrasion-resistant piqué fabric is made with Ultra Dry moisture-wicking technology for more breathable wear.
    Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 27 June 2025
  • Oftentimes, enrolling in an intensive language program qualifies someone for a student visa, depending on the requirements of that country (more on that later).
    Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • To be able to say that so many writers have been meaningful to you is not a horrible thing.
    John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
  • If Flagg develops into the human triple double who leads the team to the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals in his first six years, the trade can be called not a horrible deal.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • All those TikToks sharing the most important news of the week, or the Instagram influencers reacting to a shocking headline, or the YouTubers making video essays analyzing current events — all of these could not exist without the labor and specialized knowledge of journalists.
    Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025
  • In addition to all the shocking Prime Day finds on sale now, J.Crew Factory is stepping up and dropping prices.
    Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • Vegas bounced back from a terrible loss to the Fever with an 86-68 win over the Sun on Sunday.
    Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
  • And because of that, it’s shielded us from the terrible things that happen downstream in the supply chain.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 8 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

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