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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ghastly
When Maria returns home and visitors arrive, Jesús is forced to reckon with the ghastly horror in their midst.
—
Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
The ghastly incident unfolded at a Days Inn hotel that had been converted into a shelter by the city on East New York Avenue in the Brownsville neighborhood.
—David Unsworth, Fox News, 27 Dec. 2024
The immediate reason for that is that Benjamin Netanyahu needs to prolong the ghastly war in Gaza to avoid standing trial at home on corruption charges which carry a prison sentence.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
No one wants to see a return to the dark days when children lay in hospital wards, paralyzed, confined to ghastly iron lungs.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
The ghastly incident unfolded at a Days Inn hotel that had been converted into a shelter by the city on East New York Avenue in the Brownsville neighborhood.
—David Unsworth, Fox News, 27 Dec. 2024
The immediate reason for that is that Benjamin Netanyahu needs to prolong the ghastly war in Gaza to avoid standing trial at home on corruption charges which carry a prison sentence.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
No one wants to see a return to the dark days when children lay in hospital wards, paralyzed, confined to ghastly iron lungs.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ghastly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghastly
Adjective
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The gruesome murder occurred after an argument about fraudulent credit card charges, prosecutors said.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Over everything hovers the gruesome mystery of birth, that unnerving manifestation of female destiny by which a small person is formed within a larger one and bursts out like the alien in Alien.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is a performance that entwines intense physicality with simmering determination, and a sense of humor.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
24 Feb. 2025
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In the background of a Gaza ceasefire, Israel has steadily escalated an intense military operation in Palestinian cities in the West Bank, killing dozens and displacing tens of thousands of residents.—
Mick Krever,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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His first book, Dark Days vividly and unflinchingly chronicled his terrifying experience being jailed on charges of manslaughter (he was acquitted on all counts).—
Bill Kopp,
SPIN,
20 Feb. 2025
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For those who have watched DOGE storm into their workplace, what is perhaps most terrifying is its attempts to scale.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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On the left, contemporary progressives have denounced the original progressive for his horrific opinions of black Americans.—
Christian Schneider,
National Review,
20 Feb. 2025
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Once the fighting stops the horrific Russian losses of men and machines become daily additions to the armed forces.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In particular, teams deploying fiber-optic drones that send and receive signals via millimeters-thick wires rather than via radio—a method of control that helps the operators circumvent intensive Ukrainian radio jamming.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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The Shooting Stars award ceremony, held during the Berlin Film Festival, is the festive highlight and closing event of an intensive four-day program where the actors meet international casting directors and are presented to the international press.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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There are so many horrible things happening in the world.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
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Still, a light at the end of this very horrible long tunnel might be a bit more visible at this time.—
Greg Palkot,
Fox News,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The shocking move by Topuria left the door open for Volkanovski to return to featherweight for an immediate title fight against Lopes.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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The newest Trump administration and the shocking vote that happened this week at the UN, the U.S. siding with North Korea in that vote.—
ABC NEWS,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is, on paper, a terrible idea for all involved.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Photo: Will Hart/NBC via Getty Images The Good-to-Know Smash is largely considered terrible.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ghastly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghastly. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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