1
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a ghastly murder that shocked even hard-bitten detectives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
as in terrifying
causing fear
a ghastly crime that made local residents afraid to go out at night
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ghastly
Regretfully, my brother—probably the only person who might’ve been able to look past my cowboy getup and glue-on horseshoe moustache and ghastly wax-like exterior—was being punished at home for stealing cigarettes.
—
Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
Against the song’s bombastic production, Lorde details the ghastly side of starvation, including rotten teeth and shattered mirrors.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025
Javonte Green, Cavaliers Green turns 32 in June and shot a career-worst 42.9 percent from the floor in 2024-25, but those numbers were skewed by playing in some ghastly Pelicans lineups before his buyout.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 19 June 2025
That sort of homey detail and Karl’s cheerful disposition belie the ghastly stories that her memory holds, the ones her guest has come to hear — and capture on film.
—Christine Dimattei, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
Against the song’s bombastic production, Lorde details the ghastly side of starvation, including rotten teeth and shattered mirrors.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025
Javonte Green, Cavaliers Green turns 32 in June and shot a career-worst 42.9 percent from the floor in 2024-25, but those numbers were skewed by playing in some ghastly Pelicans lineups before his buyout.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 19 June 2025
That sort of homey detail and Karl’s cheerful disposition belie the ghastly stories that her memory holds, the ones her guest has come to hear — and capture on film.
—Christine Dimattei, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly
Adjective
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But the gruesome truth remains — more than 120 are people are dead, including children.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
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Other all-original haunted houses will include Jason Universe, which takes guests back to the summer camp where, one Friday the 13th, the gruesome legend was born.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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An intense pain that isn't going away There the lone doctor examined him and gave him an EKG to look at how his heart was functioning.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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SFGate notes that many dogs fear the oven due to its unusual sounds, intense heat, and especially alarms or beeping.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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But a week later, what had been named the Dragon Bravo Fire hit a patch of fuel and took on a terrifying character in new gusts of wind, surrounding overwhelmed firefighters on a helipad and heading with unstoppable force to the south.—
Tom Zoellner,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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As global anxiety builds, Luna must face not just the predator in the desert but the terrifying possibility that humanity’s end is hurtling toward them from the stars.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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California homeowner’s insurance premiums were already rising before the horrific Southern California wildfires in January.—
Scott Cohn,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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Family recounts parents' efforts to save children The family of the two children who died in the flooding recounted in a GoFundMe page the horrific moment floodwaters swept the young siblings away and the desperate attempt by their parents to save their lives.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Critics question whether a battery swap network—capital intensive, dependent on fleet adoption, and distributed across so many different markets—can scale profitably.—
Clay Chandler,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Because of Denise Gough's human frailty as a woman destroyed by her own ambition and Kyle Soller's cowardice in the face of a horrible truth.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
23 July 2025
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Soak up the gall of losing, absorb the horrible information, feel it to the full, go there—and then rebound, with superb elasticity.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Contract disputes involving All-Pro members of the Dallas Cowboys are hardly shocking this time of year.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
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The Too Much creator recently shared her vision for a film based on the shocking affair between Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss that was unpacked during the Bravo reality show’s Season 10 reunion in 2023, as Sandoval’s estranged ex Ariana Madix had the chance to confront them both.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Friday was particularly unsettling as terrible jobs data slammed the market and triggered President Donald Trump .—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
2 Aug. 2025
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My heart goes out to all of the Jewish children, grandchildren and future great-grandchildren who must ultimately bear the brunt of the terrible additional worldwide antisemitism caused directly by the horrific actions of the Israeli government over the past two years.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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