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
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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
The 2008 track, created the same year as Salem’s similar sounding Water EP, is a hybrid of ghastly shoegaze and nod-off trap that no one in shoegaze’s ongoing renaissance has even tried to build upon.
—
Eli Enis,
Pitchfork,
21 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
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
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
The 2008 track, created the same year as Salem’s similar sounding Water EP, is a hybrid of ghastly shoegaze and nod-off trap that no one in shoegaze’s ongoing renaissance has even tried to build upon.
—
Eli Enis,
Pitchfork,
21 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
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly
Adjective
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Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in the gruesome case of a dog that mauled and disfigured his housekeeper at his home in 2020.
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But as the days dragged on, headlines about power outages and water shortages took a back seat to a far more gruesome and horrific reality.
Adjective
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Indie Shakes managing director David Melville distills his production around scenes of intense conflict.
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As the planet warms, extreme heat events are becoming more common, intense and long-lasting.
Adjective
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That year, the Potomac River turned violent, as intense, heavy rains pushed the water to a terrifying, near-record flood level of 60,000 cubic feet per second.
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Just like waiting for the release of the bull, the ride vehicle will pause for three seconds before a terrifying 285-foot drop.
Adjective
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Chicago city officials have never forgotten the lessons of the historic and horrific heat wave of July 1995, which killed 739 people in the Chicago area.
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Many of these countries are well known for horrific human rights abuses, lack of justice and abysmal detention conditions.
Adjective
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The jockeys take on months of intensive training in order to ride in the Ladies’ Race.
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On the flip side, semiconductor manufacturing is one of the most complex and energy-intensive industrial processes in the world, with emissions projected to reach 277 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent by 2030.
Adjective
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The Red Sox offense has been horrible this season, but Contreras has been everything the club could have hoped for.
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Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.
Adjective
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Cape Verde began this run by making a statement, producing a shocking 0-0 draw against soccer powerhouse Spain on June 15 in its first-ever World Cup match.
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The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.
Adjective
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Thank you to everyone who read or contributed to this column over the years, who reached out to me with story ideas or tips, or complimented my terrible artwork.
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Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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