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   Ghast·ly

   /ˈɡastlē/

   

   adjective

   • 1. causing great horror or fear; frightful or macabre: "she was overcome with horror at the ghastly spectacle" Similar terriblefrightfulhorriblegrimawfuldirefrighteningterrifyinghorrifyingalarmingdistressingshockingappallingharrowingdreadfulfearfulhideoushorrendousmonstrousunspeakablegruesometragiccalamitousgrievousgrislyseriousseveregravevery badgrievousdreadfulterribleawfulfrightfuldireunforgivableinexcusableindefensiblereprehensibledisgracefulshamefularchaic, humorous:parlousOpposite pleasanttrivialexcusable
   • 2. extremely unwell: "he always felt ghastly first thing in the morning" Similar illunwellwashed outpeakysickqueasynauseousnauseatedgreen around the gillsoffoff colourpoorlyinformal:roughlousyrottenterribleawfulhorribledreadfulcrummygrottyropywabbitpeely-wallycrookvulgar slang:crappydated:queerseedyrare:peakedpeakishOpposite fine
   • ▪ deathly white or pallid: "a ghastly pallor" Similar palewhitepallidpastypasty-facedwancolorlessanemicbloodlesswashed outpeakypeakishashenashen-facedashychalkychalk whitegraywhitishwhite-facedwhey-facedwaxenwaxyblancheddrainedpinchedgreensicklysallowas white as a sheetas white as a ghostdeathly palecadaverouscorpselikeghostlikespectralinformal:like death warmed uppeely-wallyrare:lividetiolatedlymphaticOpposite healthy
   • 3. very objectionable, bad, or unpleasant: informal "we had to wear ghastly old-fashioned dresses" Similar unpleasantobjectionableoffensivedisagreeabledistastefuldispleasingunacceptableoff-puttingundesirableobnoxiousnastydisgustingawfulterribledreadfulfrightfulfoulrepulsiverepellentrepugnantrevoltingabhorrentloathsomehatefulodiousdetestablereprehensibledeplorableappallinginsufferableintolerabledespicablecontemptiblebeyond the palevileobsceneunsavoryunpalatablesickeningnauseatingnauseousnoxiousinformal:horriblehorridsick-makingbeastlyarchaic:disgustfulloathlyrare:exceptionablerebarbativeOpposite charming

   Word Origin Middle English: from obsolete gast ‘terrify’, from Old Englishgǣstan, of Germanic origin; related to ghost. The gh spelling is by association with ghost. The sense ‘objectionable’ dates from the mid 19th century.

   Derivatives

   • 1. ghastliness noun
   • 2. ghastlily adverb

   Scrabble Points: 14

   • G

     2

   • H

     4

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   • T

     1

   • L

     1

   • Y

     4

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