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   ghastly

   /ˈɡɑːs(t)li/

   adjective

   • 1. causing great horror or fear: "one of the most ghastly crimes ever committed" Similar terriblefrightfulhorriblegrimawfuldirefrighteningterrifyinghorrifyingalarmingdistressingshockingappallingharrowingdreadfulfearfulhideoushorrendousmonstrousunspeakablegruesometragiccalamitousgrievousgrislyseriousseveregravevery badgrievousdreadfulterribleawfulfrightfuldireunforgivableinexcusableindefensiblereprehensibledisgracefulshamefularchaic, humorous:parlousOpposite pleasanttrivialexcusable
   • 2. extremely unwell: "she had sobered up but she felt ghastly" Similar illunwellwashed outpeakysickqueasynauseousnauseatedgreen around the gillsoffoff colourpoorlyinformal:roughlousyrottenterribleawfulhorribledreadfulcrummygrottyropywabbitpeely-wallycrookvulgar slang:crappydated:queerseedyrare:peakedpeakishOpposite fine
   • ▪ deathly white: "a ghastly pallor" Similar palewhitepallidpastypasty-facedwancolourlessanaemicbloodlesswashed outpeakypeakishashenashen-facedashychalkychalk whitegreywhitishwhite-facedwhey-facedwaxenwaxyblancheddrainedpinchedgreensicklysallowas white as a sheetas white as a ghostdeathly palecadaverouscorpse-likeghostlikespectralinformal:like death warmed uppeely-wallyrare:lividetiolatedlymphaticOpposite healthy
   • 3. very objectionable, bad, or unpleasant: informal "the weather was ghastly" Similar unpleasantobjectionableoffensivedisagreeabledistastefuldispleasingunacceptableoff-puttingundesirableobnoxiousnastydisgustingawfulterribledreadfulfrightfulfoulrepulsiverepellentrepugnantrevoltingabhorrentloathsomehatefulodiousdetestablereprehensibledeplorableappallinginsufferableintolerabledespicablecontemptiblebeyond the palevileobsceneunsavouryunpalatablesickeningnauseatingnauseousnoxiousinformal: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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