adj
ghastly
GAHS-lee
adj
1
Extremely unpleasant, shocking, or horrifying.
"The crash scene was truly ghastly."
"She described the ghastly conditions in the flooded village."
2
Pale and deathly-looking.
"His face turned a ghastly shade of grey."
3
(informal, especially British) Very bad or unpleasant, used for milder complaints as well as serious horror.
"What a ghastly hotel — the room smelled awful."
How to Use Ghastly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHorrifying or deathly-looking, though British speakers also use it loosely for anything simply awful.
Common pairings
ghastly sight
ghastly mistake
look ghastly
Word Forms
ghastlier comparative, more ghastly comparative, ghastlier comparative, ghastliest superlative, most ghastly superlative, ghastliest superlative
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Etymology
From Middle English gastly, related to "ghost" and originally meaning "terrifying" or "deathly pale" — the gh spelling crept in later by association with "ghost."