GHASTLY Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'ghastly' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of ghastly are grisly , gruesome , lurid , and macabre . While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts. // a ghastly accident

Q: How do 'grisly' and 'gruesome' relate to one another, in the sense of 'ghastly'?

Both grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty. // an unusually grisly murder // suffered a gruesome death

Q: How are the words 'lurid' and 'gruesome' related as synonyms of 'ghastly'?

Lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder. // the lurid details of a crime

Q: When might 'macabre' be a better fit than 'ghastly'?

Although the words macabre and ghastly have much in common, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death. // a macabre tale of premature burial

ghastly

adjective

ˈgast-lē

Definition of ghastly next

as in gruesome

extremely disturbing or repellent a ghastly murder that shocked even hard-bitten detectives

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect I'm afraid that there's been a ghastly misunderstanding

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in terrifying

causing fear a ghastly crime that made local residents afraid to go out at night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ghastly different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of ghastly are grisly, gruesome, lurid, and macabre. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How do grisly and gruesome relate to one another, in the sense of ghastly?

Both grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

How are the words lurid and gruesome related as synonyms of ghastly?

Lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

When might macabre be a better fit than ghastly?

Although the words macabre and ghastly have much in common, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ghastly To curb this ghastly 19th-century practice, states adopted laws giving schools authority to use unclaimed bodies for student training and experiments. —

Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for ghastly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly

Adjective

Prehistoric Rock Art Sites Created 'Multisensory Experience' For Hunter-Gatherers By Aristos Georgiou Science and Health Reporter 0 A collection of prehistoric human remains has revealed gruesome insights into a brutal massacre that took place more than 4,000 years ago.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Police think the gruesome gunshot death is suicide.

Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024