Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective, ghast·li·er, ghast·li·est.
- shockingly frightful or dreadful; horrible: a ghastly murder.
- resembling a ghost, especially in being very pale: a ghastly look to his face.
- terrible; very bad: a ghastly error.
adverb
- Also ghast·li·ly, ghast·i·ly. in a ghastly manner; horribly; terribly.
- with a deathlike quality.
adjective -lier or -liest
- informal very bad or unpleasant
- deathly pale; wan
- informal extremely unwell; illthey felt ghastly after the party
- terrifying; horrible
adverb
- unhealthily; sicklyghastly pale
- archaic in a horrible or hideous manner
c.1300, gastlich, from gast (adj.), past participle of gasten “to frighten,” from Old English gæstan “to torment, frighten” (see ghost) + -lich “-ly.” Spelling with gh- developed 16c. from confusion with ghost. As an adverb, from 1580s. Related: Ghastliness.