EN

Synonyms for ghastly

  • adjective
  • adverb

Most common

hideous grisly macabre gruesome sepulchral charnel

Synonyms by meaning

Adjective

1. Hideous — horrifyingly shocking

hideous, grisly, macabre, gruesome, horrid, grim, lurid, horrific, horrible, terrible, horrifying, ghostly, frightful, terrifying, pallid, frightening, wan, shocking, scary, pale, repulsive, haggard

2. Sepulchral

sepulchral, charnel

Other

death-like, washed-out

Adverb

ghastily, ghastlily

Antonyms

lovely, pleasant, beautiful

All antonyms of ghastly →

Definitions

  1. adj. 1

    Horrifyingly shocking.

  2. adj. 2

    Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid; dismal.

  3. adv. 1

    In a ghastly manner.

Related words

Word family
ghastily ghastlily ghastliness

Example sentences

  • hideous Some things get more hideous, when you clean them.
  • gruesome I saved him from a gruesome and humiliating death.
  • macabre This macabre photo has travelled around the world.
  • grisly He shuddered with horror at the grisly sight.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
ghastlyrising
hideousrising
gruesomerising
macabrerising
grislyrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
wan1
4 letters
pale1, grim1
5 letters
scary2, lurid2
6 letters
horrid2, grisly2, pallid2
7 letters
hideous3, ghostly2, macabre3, haggard2, charnel
8 letters
terrible3, horrible3, shocking2, horrific3, gruesome2, ghastily
9 letters
repulsive3, frightful2, ghastlily
10 letters
terrifying4, horrifying4, sepulchral
11 letters
frightening3

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (scary2 = 2 syllables).