1
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a ghastly murder that shocked even hard-bitten detectives
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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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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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Watkins immediately received a flood of support on social media after the gruesome injury, as athletes and analysts from around the sports world chimed in with well wishes.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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The behemoth abode sits on the infamous site of the gruesome 1969 Manson murders, though the original home was bulldozed in the ’90s.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Especially in the earliest stages, when the grind will be intense. Hammond: The honeymoon period is nearly over.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Mar. 2025
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An intense look at the world of competitive bodybuilding and remake of a Argentine thriller top our roundup of this week’s new films.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
20 Mar. 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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While the defense in front of him remained very much horrific in Buffalo, Jarry was not good.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Almost a decade in the making, and currently in post-production, the film will recount the harrowing story of the nine Charbonneau sisters and their childhood schoolmates who endured horrific abuse at St. Paul’s Indian Mission School in Marty, South Dakota.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Despite her apparent hypertension, a doctor cleared Diana Carey to be taken to a regular hospital floor instead of continuing intensive monitoring, according to the lawsuit.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2025
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After this close encounter with intensive factory farming, the narrator vows to go vegan.—
Bartolomeo Sala,
The Dial,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Those plans are HMOs and many of us remember how horrible those were, denying service, or stalling approval.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
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Lillard’s blood clot diagnosis continues a horrible stretch of injuries that has limited the Bucks’ ability to chase postseason glory since the Bucks ended the franchise’s 50-year championship drought by winning the 2021 NBA title.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Sins Of The Brother Of course, the most shocking moment in this episode is something that’s been setup from the very first episode.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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The series begins with his shocking arrest and traverses his first police interview; the detectives on the case at his school, groping for clarity on a senseless crime; and how his family navigates both their raw new reality and their past decisions.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The boys now harbor a terrible secret of their own.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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But the point is, every team has a few terrible losses in the course of a season.—
Josh Yohe,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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