ghastly
7 synonyms and 3 antonyms for ghastly, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Extremely unpleasant, shocking, or horrifying.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adj
Extremely unpleasant, shocking, or horrifying.
“The crash scene was truly ghastly.”
How to use ghastly
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
ghastly sight
ghastly mistake
look ghastly
Etymology
From Middle English gastly, related to "ghost" and originally meaning "terrifying" or "deathly pale" — the gh spelling crept in later by association with "ghost."
Full origin of ghastly →Frequently asked questions
What does “ghastly” mean?
The word “ghastly” means extremely unpleasant, shocking, or horrifying. In plain terms, horrifying or deathly-looking, though British speakers also use it loosely for anything simply awful.
How do you pronounce “ghastly”?
“Ghastly” is pronounced GAHS-lee (/ˈɡæs(t).li/ in IPA).
How do you use “ghastly” in a sentence?
Here is “ghastly” used in a sentence: “The crash scene was truly ghastly.”
What part of speech is “ghastly”?
“Ghastly” is an adjective.
Where does the word “ghastly” come from?
The word “ghastly” comes from Middle English. From Middle English gastly, related to "ghost" and originally meaning "terrifying" or "deathly pale" — the gh spelling crept in later by association with "ghost.".
How many meanings does “ghastly” have?
“Ghastly” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely unpleasant, shocking, or horrifying.
