1
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a ghastly murder that shocked even hard-bitten detectives
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2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
I'm afraid that there's been a ghastly misunderstanding
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3
as in terrifying
causing fear
a ghastly crime that made local residents afraid to go out at night
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ghastly
But the ghastly grit and chaos of this war is unlikely to be kind to a truce.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
But Rozier had a nightmarish second half, missing all eight of his shots and committing three ghastly turnovers.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
This one was distilled to its essence in the first period, when the Blackhawks got a power play and proceeded to give the puck away three times in less than 10 seconds, including ghastly turnovers by Seth Jones and Bedard.
—Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
And absolutely include in it the blow-up plastic palm trees, holographic palm trees, neon palm trees and one of those ghastly cellphone towers trying to resemble a palm tree.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
But Rozier had a nightmarish second half, missing all eight of his shots and committing three ghastly turnovers.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
This one was distilled to its essence in the first period, when the Blackhawks got a power play and proceeded to give the puck away three times in less than 10 seconds, including ghastly turnovers by Seth Jones and Bedard.
—Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
And absolutely include in it the blow-up plastic palm trees, holographic palm trees, neon palm trees and one of those ghastly cellphone towers trying to resemble a palm tree.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly
Adjective
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Thoughtful, but gruesome is an apt descriptor for the film as well.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2025
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This was true of Fury (2015) as well, his brutal and gruesome war drama featuring Brad Pitt as a tank commander in the final days of World War II leading a platoon of hardened, traumatized, broken soldiers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The May 1945 bombing came on the heels of another intense U.S. firebombing campaign known as Operation Meetinghouse.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
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The sun has once again unleashed a powerful solar flare, continuing its streak of intense activity.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Prehistoric insects encased in amber reveal a terrifying evolutionary road that dead-ended sometime after the mid-Cretaceous period.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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With that horrific risk in mind, the crew hatches a new plan.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
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Viscerally horrific, conceptually mindblowing, achingly humane.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This alarming probability briefly landed the asteroid atop impact risk lists maintained by NASA and the European Space Agency, triggering planetary defense discussions and prompting intensive follow-up observations to refine the object's trajectory.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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If the proposal gets legislative approval in Healey’s roughly $62 billion budget request, the Bay State would lose its only intensive residential treatment program for children between the ages of 6 and 12 who are suffering from suicidal and/or homicidal ideations or other complex needs.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Some veterans have impressed at the midpoint of coach Mike Norvell's spring-practice rebuilding as FSU aims to recover from last year's horrible campaign.—
Bob Ferrante,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
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But then two horrible shifts by the Wild turned the game upside down in the blink of an eye.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Leaders around the world have responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s shocking new tariffs that threaten to upend the global economy with stern words and denunciations.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
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The couple shared their shocking experience in a now-viral TikTok video, warning others about the dangers of unsafe food handling.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This is great news for our model but terrible for upsets.—
Jordan Brenner,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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