Synonyms of ghastly

ghastly

adjective

ˈgast-lē 

1

as in gruesome

extremely disturbing or repellent

a ghastly murder that shocked even hard-bitten detectives

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gruesome
• horrific
• shocking
• horrible
• nightmare
• terrible
• horrifying
• hideous
• frightening
• dreadful
• awful
• terrific
• terrifying
• grisly
• horrid
• appalling
• nightmarish
• scary
• macabre
• sickening
• frightful
• horrendous
• monstrous
• atrocious
• lurid
• disgusting
• ugly
• alarming
• fearful
• dire
• grotesque
• loathsome
• obscene
• formidable
• direful
• revolting
• repulsive
• abominable
• heinous
• offensive
• odious
• deplorable
• unspeakable
• disagreeable
• repugnant
• fearsome
• abhorrent
• obnoxious
• vile
• forbidding
• evil
• intimidating
• distasteful
• redoubtable
• gut-wrenching
• bloodcurdling
• nauseating
• noxious
• noisome
• hair-raising
• unsightly
• heart-stopping
• foul

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pleasant
• delightful
• attractive
• delicious
• welcome
• agreeable
• appealing
• enjoyable
• satisfying
• delectable
• pleasurable
• pleasing
• enticing
• inviting
• comforting
• soothing
• cheering

2

as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect

I'm afraid that there's been a ghastly misunderstanding

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intense
• intensive
• terrible
• fierce
• ferocious
• deep
• furious
• heavy
• dreadful
• violent
• vicious
• profound
• frightful
• acute
• fearful
• explosive
• exquisite
• fearsome
• excruciating
• blistering
• vehement
• keen
• heavy-duty
• hard
• hellacious
• almighty
• intensified
• harsh
• aggravated
• heightened
• severe
• concentrated
• enhanced
• magnified
• exhaustive
• thorough
• stressed
• accentuated
• deepened
• rigorous
• emphasized

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• moderate
• soft
• feeble
• weak
• superficial
• shallow
• qualified
• decreased
• eased
• toned (down)
• moderated
• subdued
• reduced
• diminished
• lightened
• lessened
• alleviated
• abated

3

as in terrifying

causing fear

a ghastly crime that made local residents afraid to go out at night

Synonyms & Similar Words

• terrifying
• horrible
• frightening
• formidable
• terrible
• scary
• intimidating
• dread
• alarming
• horrifying
• dreadful
• shocking
• fearful
• eerie
• frightful
• startling
• horrendous
• creepy
• gruesome
• fearsome
• dire
• direful
• forbidding
• spine-chilling
• redoubtable
• troubling
• disturbing
• trying
• hair-raising
• hideous
• threatening
• unnerving
• discouraging
• daunting
• disconcerting
• disquieting
• weird
• perturbing
• grisly
• demoralizing
• horrid
• dismaying
• distressing
• nightmarish
• appalling
• awful
• macabre
• monstrous
• atrocious
• bone-chilling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassuring
• comforting
• soothing
• relaxing
• inviting
• calming
• consoling
• tranquilizing
• nonthreatening
• quieting
• lulling
• pacifying
• nonintimidating

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

Recent Examples of ghastly

From a certain perspective, the traps that Ibsen had laid for his characters were hilariously well made, and the one character who got the ghastly humor within the play itself was Hedda. —Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

There’s no ghastly passenger touchscreen, no dimwitted haptic touchpads and no infuriating AI assistant. —Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America. —New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026

The ghastly kills are there — innards are spilled on floors, knives go through temples, heads stuck on pikes expel vomitous discharge — but there’s little of the preceding back-and-forth that made such scenes notable in the past and at least conceptually justified the grotesquerie. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026