ghastly
/ˈɡɑːs(t).li/adjective
Looking pale and frightening like a ghost; shockingly unpleasant or dreadful.
Example sentences
- “After the long illness, his face had a ghastly, gray look.”
- “Police described the scene of the accident as ghastly.”
British speakers use it casually for anything awful: ghastly weather, a ghastly mistake. Formed from 'ghast', the same root as 'aghast'.