ghastly: [14] Despite its similarity in form and sense, ghastly is not related to ghost. It was formed from the Middle English verb gasten ‘terrify’, which may have been a descendant of the Old English verb gǣstan ‘torment’ (source of aghast). The spelling with gh-, based on ghost, was first used by the 16th-century poet Edmund Spenser, and in due course caught on generally. => aghast
c. 1300, gastlich, "inspiring fear or terror, hideous, shocking," with -lich (see -ly (2)) + gast (adj.) "afraid, frightened," past participle of gasten "to frighten," from Old English gæstan "to torment, frighten" (see ghost (n.)). Spelling with gh- developed 16c. from confusion with ghost. Middle English also had gastful in the same sense, but this is now obsolete. Sidney and Shakespeare also used ghastly as an adverb. Related: Ghastliness.
双语例句
1. He was surrounded by people who fed him ghastly lies.
他周围的人都在给他灌输可怕的谎言。
来自柯林斯例句
2. We had a ghastly holiday; it rained all the time.
我们的假日过得十分不愉快, 整天下雨.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. When he heard the news, his face took on a ghastly expression.
他听到这个消息, 脸色变得很难看.
来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
4. It's a ghastly murder I ever heard.
那我听过的是可怕的谋杀.
来自《简明英汉词典》
5. The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.
