ghastly en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈɡas(t).li/ (Northern-England, Scotland)
- /ˈɡɑːs(t).li/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ˈɡæs(t).li/ (US)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From a conflation of gastly, from Middle English gastly, from gasten (from Old English gǣstan (“to torment, frighten”)) + -ly, and ghostly (which was also spelt gastlich in Middle English). Equivalent to ghast/gast + -ly. Spelling with gh developed in the 16th century due to the conflation.
Meanings
-
Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid; dismal.
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang.
1797–1798 (date written), [Samuel Taylor Coleridge], “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere”, in Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, London: […] J[ohn] & A[rthur] Arch, […], published 1798, →OCLC:They gathered soberly in the farthest recess of the ward and gossiped about him in malicious, offended undertones, rebelling against his presence as a ghastly imposition and resenting him malevolently for the nauseating truth of which he was bright reminder.
1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 169:His face was so ghastly that it could scarcely be recognized.
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:"My men grow mutinous day by day; / My men grow ghastly wan and weak." / The stout mate thought of home; a spray / Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
1892, Joaquin Miller, Columbus
-
Horrifyingly shocking.
They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.
1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:Mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and mail.
1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
-
(colloquial, dated) Extremely bad.
The play was simply ghastly.
Well, Uncle, it's really been a ghastly mistake from the very beginning.
1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ghastlier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| ghastliest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
ghast · ghastily · unghastly · ghastliness · ghastlily
Synonyms
gruesome (horrifyingly shocking) · lurid (horrifyingly shocking) · grisly (horrifyingly shocking)
Translations (89)
ru стра́шный (horrifyingly shocking) · es horripilante (extremely bad) · ka გაფითრებული (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · bg ужасен (horrifyingly shocking) · it obbrobrioso (extremely bad) · it agghiacciante (horrifyingly shocking) · it terribile (extremely bad) · hu rettenetes (horrifyingly shocking) · ro oribil (horrifyingly shocking) · ka საზარელი (horrifyingly shocking) · nl afschuwelijk (extremely bad) · ka შემაძრწუნებელი (horrifyingly shocking) · es horroroso (extremely bad) · es horrendo (extremely bad) · es horrible (extremely bad) · nl afgrijselijk (extremely bad) · es cadavérico (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · de geisterhaft (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · ak hoyaa (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · ka საშინელი (horrifyingly shocking) · fi kaamea (extremely bad) · fr horrible (extremely bad) · es cadaveroso (disused) (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · fr atroce (horrifyingly shocking) · ro groaznic (horrifyingly shocking) · ka შემზარავი (horrifyingly shocking) · pt medonho (horrifyingly shocking) · de schauderhaft (extremely bad) · fi kuolonkalpea (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · fr atroce (extremely bad) · nl verschrikkelijk (extremely bad) · fr blafard (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · es horrible (horrifyingly shocking) · pl upiorny (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · pt assustador (horrifyingly shocking) · fr épouvantable (extremely bad) · fi kaamea (horrifyingly shocking) · eo terura (horrifyingly shocking) · fi kauhea (extremely bad) · de haarsträubend (horrifyingly shocking) · ru ужа́сный (horrifyingly shocking) · es horrendo (horrifyingly shocking) · ru отврати́тельный (extremely bad) · sv förskräcklig (extremely bad) · it spaventoso (horrifyingly shocking) · ka ფერწასული (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · it terrificante (horrifyingly shocking) · nl afgrijselijk (horrifyingly shocking) · eo malbonega (extremely bad) · fi kauhistuttava (horrifyingly shocking) · fi kauhea (horrifyingly shocking) · es desagradable (extremely bad) · ka მკვდრისფერდადებული (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · fi kamala (extremely bad) · es horroroso (horrifyingly shocking) · fi kalmankalpea (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · es malísimo (extremely bad) · it pessimo (extremely bad) · fr affreux (extremely bad) · nl abominabel (extremely bad) · ka საზიზღარი (extremely bad) · fi kamala (horrifyingly shocking) · hu szörnyű (extremely bad) · bg страхотен (horrifyingly shocking) · de grässlich (horrifyingly shocking) · ka შემზარავი (extremely bad) · ka საშინელი (extremely bad) · ro lamentabil (extremely bad) · de gespenstisch (horrifyingly shocking) · es horripilante (horrifyingly shocking) · sv hemsk (extremely bad) · eo timiga (horrifyingly shocking) · nl afschuwelijk (horrifyingly shocking) · eo makabra (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · fr livide (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · pdt grausom (horrifyingly shocking) · de furchtbar (extremely bad) · it orribile (extremely bad) · bg смъртноблед (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · eo terura (extremely bad) · fr épouvantable (horrifyingly shocking) · fi kalpea (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · nl verschrikkelijk (horrifyingly shocking) · fr effrayant (horrifyingly shocking) · es espantoso (horrifyingly shocking) · bg мъртвешки (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid) · pt horripilante (horrifyingly shocking) · es terrible (extremely bad) · es fantasmal (Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid)