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Ghastly vs Terribly - What's the difference?

ghastly | terribly |

As adverbs the difference between ghastly and terribly

is that ghastly is in a ghastly manner while terribly is causing terror or awe.

As an adjective ghastly

is like a ghost in appearance; deathlike; pale; pallid; dismal.

ghastly

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Like a ghost in appearance; deathlike; pale; pallid; dismal.
  • *(Samuel Taylor Coleridge) (1772-1834)
  • *:Each turned his face with a ghastly pang.
  • * (1800-1859)
  • *:His face was so ghastly that it could scarcely be recognized.
  • Horrifyingly shocking.
  • *(John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • *:Mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and mail.
  • *
  • *:They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.
  • Extremely bad.
  • :

    • Synonyms

    * lurid

    Adverb

    (-)
  • In a ghastly manner.
    • He turned ghastly pale on hearing the news.

    terribly

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Causing terror or awe.
    • The lion roared terribly .
  • Very; extremely.
    • He's terribly busy and you really shouldn't bother him.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 15 , author=Felicity Cloake , title=How to cook the perfect nut roast , work=Guardian citation , page= , passage=The parsnip, stilton and chestnut combination may taste good, but it's not terribly decorative. In fact, dull's the word, a lingering adjectival ghost of nut roasts past that I'm keen to banish from the table. Mary Berry wraps her version in strips of chargrilled aubergine but, although it looks rather smart, I worry that something so Mediterranean will stick out like a sore thumb on the plate, given that many vegetarians want to enjoy the same roast potatoes, sprouts and sauces as everyone else. Instead, inspired by the stuffed cabbage rolls eaten at Christmas in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, I use blanched savoy cabbage leaves to wrap my parsnippy parcel, adding a touch of festive greenery to the dish.}}
  • Very badly.
    • She even signed up for karaoke, although she sang terribly .

    Usage notes

    * Adjectives to which "terribly" is often applied: wrong, sorry, important, difficult, hard, afraid, sad, bad, expensive, long, upset, exciting, fast, excited, slow, cold, hot, busy, concerned, pleased, interesting, painful, funny, lonely, ill, good, tired, strong, confused, serious, fond, old, angry, anxious, effective, depressed, familiar, attractive, happy, poor, hungry, sick, big, nice, small, dull, clever, dirty, proud, disappointing, sweet, original, ashamed, efficient, successful, jealous, simple, strange, cruel.

    Synonyms

    * (very) very, extremely, awfully, horribly