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
But, Simpson, who died of cancer Wednesday at age 76, could not escape his ghastly celebrity.
—Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
But the social media ecosystem has obliterated just about every taboo, and from the twin toilets of the internet known as Twitter and TikTok, a ghastly emanation has arisen to challenge the conventional wisdom about food’s place in the bathroom.
—Jonathan Dale / The Takeout, Quartz, 17 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ghastly 
Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
But the social media ecosystem has obliterated just about every taboo, and from the twin toilets of the internet known as Twitter and TikTok, a ghastly emanation has arisen to challenge the conventional wisdom about food’s place in the bathroom.
—Jonathan Dale / The Takeout, Quartz, 17 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ghastly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ghastly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ghastly
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghastly. Accessed 28 May. 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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