ghastly

adjective ghast·ly \ˈgast-lē\

: very shocking or horrible

: very bad

ghast·li·erghast·li·est

Full Definition of GHASTLY

a : terrifyingly horrible to the senses : frightening <a ghastly crime>

b : intensely unpleasant, disagreeable, or objectionable <such a life seems ghastly in its emptiness and sterility — Aldous Huxley>

: resembling a ghost

obsolete : filled with fear

: very great <a ghastly mistake>

— ghast·li·ness noun

— ghastly adverb

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Origin of GHASTLY

Middle English gastly, from gasten to terrify — more at gast

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to GHASTLY

Synonyms: appalling, atrocious, awful, dreadful, frightful, horrible, grisly, gruesome (also grewsome), hideous, horrendous, horrid, horrific, horrifying, lurid, macabre, monstrous, nightmare, nightmarish, shocking, terrible, terrific

Antonyms: light, moderate, soft

Synonym Discussion of GHASTLY

ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre, lurid mean horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect. ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts <a ghastly accident>. grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty <an unusually grisly murder> <suffered a gruesome death>. macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death <a macabre tale of premature burial>. lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder <the lurid details of a crime>.