— ghastliness , n.
/gast"lee, gahst"-/ , adj., ghastlier, ghastliest , adv.
adj.
1. shockingly frightful or dreadful; horrible: a ghastly murder.
2. resembling a ghost, esp. in being very pale: a ghastly look to his face.
3. terrible; very bad: a ghastly error.
adv.
4. Also, ghastlily, ghastily . in a ghastly manner; horribly; terribly.
5. with a deathlike quality.
[ 1275-1325; ME gastly; see GHAST, -LY ]
Syn. 2. deathlike, pallid, cadaverous.