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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in terrifying
causing fear
a ghastly crime that made local residents afraid to go out at night
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ghastly
Last year, Arias had a 111 wRC+ with a ghastly 31 percent strikeout rate.
—
Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
His Monday meeting in the Oval Office with Zelensky will likely reveal an evolution in their relationship, and Trump’s view of Putin, since their ghastly February blowout.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2025
The horror short follows a young woman who makes a ghastly deal with a witch in exchange for her problematic boyfriend.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
Denver’s reserve offensive line largely cleaned up its play after some ghastly Friday reps, with much less yellow laundry Saturday.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
His Monday meeting in the Oval Office with Zelensky will likely reveal an evolution in their relationship, and Trump’s view of Putin, since their ghastly February blowout.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2025
The horror short follows a young woman who makes a ghastly deal with a witch in exchange for her problematic boyfriend.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
Denver’s reserve offensive line largely cleaned up its play after some ghastly Friday reps, with much less yellow laundry Saturday.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly
Adjective
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But everything changes when a string of gruesome killings—which grow increasingly bizarre, with victims covered in rashes and found in deranged, violent states—involves his young daughter Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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TikTok prohibits gory, gruesome or extremely violent clips.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Pyongyang has continued to exercise significant control over the population and severely restrict the rights and freedoms of its population, and that has only gotten more intense over the last decade.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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This question — which strikes at the heart of a perennial issue in American politics, frequently reignited by recurring mass shootings — sparked an intense partisan divide.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The case is interrupted as Lorraine is heavily pregnant with Judy and is induced into giving birth after a terrifying vision.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The series centers around a deep-space research vessel crash-lands on Earth, bringing with it mysterious and terrifying life forms, such as the Xenomorph.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Right-wing politicians have long used horrific crime stories – particularly those featuring Black suspects and White victims – to make broader criticisms of Democrats as soft on crime.—
Wesley Bruer,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
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The surveillance footage of the horrific attack was released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) over the weekend, FOX News reported.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Advertisement The flurry of updates came three days after Robinson was arrested following an intensive hunt for Kirk's killer.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
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Doing this requires massive system level integration and is resource intensive.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The horrible accident — later determined to be caused by pilot error — remains the deadliest plane crash in Charlotte history.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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But then came a horrible deep-ball attempt intended for Stefon Diggs that Isaiah Pola-Mao intercepted.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Chicago Bears suffered a shocking Week 1 loss, blowing a 17-6 fourth quarter lead at home against the division rival Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Iryna was killed while sitting peacefully, an innocent life taken in a shocking and brutal way.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Yes, there are so much terrible stuff online.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
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But that obviously terrible call compromised the integrity of that game last night, and that's something the sport should be looking to avoid.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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