The word ghastly describes something that is shockingly horrible, frightening, or extremely unpleasant. It is often used to emphasize an intense degree of unpleasantness, such as a horrifying event, a terrible situation, or a pale and unhealthy appearance. The term can also imply something that causes fear or repulsion. Derived from the Old English gāstlic, meaning “ghost-like” or “spirit-like,” the word retains its connotation of dread and fright.
10 Sentences Using “Ghastly”:
- The ghastly scene of the accident left witnesses speechless.
- She wore a ghastly expression when she heard the terrible news.
- The haunted house was filled with ghastly decorations meant to scare visitors.
- His ghastly mistake in the final exam cost him a passing grade.
- The room was in a ghastly state, with garbage and dirt everywhere.
- The ghastly crime shocked the entire community.
- The food tasted ghastly, and I couldn’t eat another bite.
- He made a ghastly attempt at humor, leaving the audience confused.
- The ghastly pale complexion of the patient alarmed the doctor.
- The ghastly weather ruined what could have been a perfect picnic day.
Synonyms of “Ghastly”:
- Horrible
- Terrifying
- Dreadful
- Appalling
- Hideous
- Grisly
- Frightening
- Shocking
- Horrific
- Repulsive
Antonyms of “Ghastly”:
- Pleasant
- Delightful
- Lovely
- Beautiful
- Attractive
- Agreeable
- Appealing
- Charming
- Enjoyable
- Wonderful
Related Words:
- Grotesque
- Awful
- Gruesome
- Spine-chilling
- Nightmarish
- Fearsome
- Macabre
- Eerie
- Disturbing
- Dire
Related Expressions:
- “A ghastly sight” (something horrifying to look at).
- “Ghastly pale” (extremely pale or ashen, often due to fear or illness).
- “Ghastly mistake” (a serious or shocking error).
- “Ghastly crime” (a horrifying or heinous act).
- “Ghastly weather” (severely unpleasant atmospheric conditions).
- “Ghastly appearance” (an unsettling or frightening look).
- “Ghastly accident” (a shocking and horrific mishap).
- “A ghastly experience” (an event that was intensely unpleasant or frightening).
- “Ghastly failure” (a disastrous or shocking lack of success).
- “Ghastly truth” (a horrifying or unsettling fact).
Related Phrasal Verbs:
- “Break down” (to result in a ghastly situation).
- “Turn into” (to become ghastly).
- “Mess up” (to create a ghastly problem).
- “Deal with” (to manage a ghastly issue).
- “Come across” (to appear ghastly).
- “Clean up” (to fix something ghastly).
- “Fall apart” (to deteriorate into a ghastly state).
- “Blow up” (to escalate into a ghastly conflict).
- “Put up with” (to tolerate something ghastly).
- “Work through” (to resolve a ghastly issue).
Related Idioms:
- “Give someone the creeps” (to make someone feel uneasy, often in a ghastly way).
- “Send shivers down the spine” (to evoke a ghastly sense of fear or dread).
- “A face only a mother could love” (a humorous reference to a ghastly appearance).
- “Out of the frying pan and into the fire” (escaping one ghastly situation only to face another).
- “The stuff of nightmares” (something so ghastly it could feature in a bad dream).
- “Add insult to injury” (to worsen a ghastly situation).
- “Skeletons in the closet” (hidden ghastly secrets).
- “The writing on the wall” (a sign of a ghastly outcome).
- “A bitter pill to swallow” (a ghastly truth that is hard to accept).
- “Turn a blind eye” (to ignore something ghastly).
