ghastlier; ghastliest
1
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
Aldous Huxley2
: resembling a ghost
3
obsolete
: filled with fear
4
: very great
a ghastly mistake
ghastliness
noun
ghastly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of ghastly in a Sentence
You're making a ghastly mistake.
His room was a ghastly mess.
Recent Examples on the Web
The prospect of millions of people who’ve come to America to make a better life for themselves being rounded up and shipped out is ghastly.
—Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
And there's a timeless quality, too, because, well, ghastly kids are always ghastly.
49.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Both had ghastly defenses last year, with the Trojans swiping coordinator D’Anton Lynn from UCLA and LSU paying a pretty penny to lure coordinator Blake Baker from Missouri.
—Justin Williams, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024
Daryl tracked them to a quaint farmhouse with a ghastly walkway lined with guard walkers.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ghastly 
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Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
And there's a timeless quality, too, because, well, ghastly kids are always ghastly.
49.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Both had ghastly defenses last year, with the Trojans swiping coordinator D’Anton Lynn from UCLA and LSU paying a pretty penny to lure coordinator Blake Baker from Missouri.
—Justin Williams, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024
Daryl tracked them to a quaint farmhouse with a ghastly walkway lined with guard walkers.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ghastly
Dictionary Entries Near ghastly
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghastly. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ghastly
adjective
ghast·ly
ˈgast-lē 
ghastlier; ghastliest
1
a
: horrible sense 1, shocking
a ghastly crime
b
: very unpleasant, disagreeable, or objectionable
2
: resembling a ghost
a ghastly face
ghastliness
noun
ghastly
adverb
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