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
Examples of ghastly in a Sentence
You're making a ghastly mistake.
His room was a ghastly mess.
Recent Examples on the Web
Her beheading was a ghastly sight, shocking even to the man who had done much to bring it about—the King’s adviser Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance), who used threats of ruin and torture to drum up witnesses against Anne.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
The house comes with some very bad mojo, and was the site of a ghastly murder of a previous family that lived there.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
In the game, players control Abby, a soldier caught in the throes of a post-apocalyptic militia and cultish religion who butts heads with co-lead Ellie, leading to ghastly consequences.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
In those days the Everglades were seen as Florida’s ghastly backyard, a region of fearsome reptiles and unsavory characters.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
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Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
The house comes with some very bad mojo, and was the site of a ghastly murder of a previous family that lived there.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
In the game, players control Abby, a soldier caught in the throes of a post-apocalyptic militia and cultish religion who butts heads with co-lead Ellie, leading to ghastly consequences.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
In those days the Everglades were seen as Florida’s ghastly backyard, a region of fearsome reptiles and unsavory characters.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghastly. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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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