absolutely ghastly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "absolutely ghastly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is extremely unpleasant or horrifying. Example: "The movie was absolutely ghastly, with a plot that made no sense and terrible acting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

"There have been some absolutely ghastly films recently, physically repellent.

The Guardian - Film

"There have been some absolutely ghastly films recently, physically repellent," he said.

The Guardian - Film

She rarely gives interviews; when Coveney approached her with the idea of writing a biography, she said: "How absolutely ghastly.

The Guardian

Soon after his debut his mother told him: "Darling, I saw you on television yesterday and you looked absolutely ghastly.

The Guardian - Sport

I used to read my talks and he said, 'Don't do it, it's so boring, it's absolutely ghastly.' And he was right".

The Guardian - Books

He added: "The way they have gone about this seems absolutely ghastly; the really pernicious thing is the secrecy with which it has all been done".

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

The longest stoppage, in 2008, lasted for eight weeks, cost the firm $2 billion and prompted customers such as Sir Richard to use phrases like "absolutely and utterly ghastly".

The Economist

"War is an absolutely terrible, ghastly thing.

Independent

Our own view was given that absolutely grotesque, ghastly attack that was carried out that killed hundreds of children as well as over a thousand adults that we had to enforce the international norm against using chemical weapons.

Huffington Post

Her vulnerability — and that of her girlfriends — was the badly kept secret of the show, the glue holding together the froufrou, the lunches, those absolutely fabulous and ghastly clothes and all that muscly man bait.

The New York Times

Strecker's smile is ghastly, utterly mirthless.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "absolutely ghastly" to emphasize a strong negative reaction to something, whether it's a film, an idea, or a situation. Its impact lies in the intensity of the combined words.

Common error

Avoid using "absolutely ghastly" in highly formal or professional settings where a more neutral or objective tone is expected. Opt for alternatives like "utterly unacceptable" or "completely inappropriate" to maintain professionalism.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "absolutely ghastly" functions as an intensifier + adjective, significantly amplifying the negative connotation of the word "ghastly". As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this construction is both grammatically correct and suitable for use in written English. It serves to express a strong sense of disgust or revulsion.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Formal & Business

10%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "absolutely ghastly" is a grammatically correct phrase used to express a strong negative reaction, indicating something is extremely unpleasant or horrifying. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is usable in written English. It's most commonly found in news and media contexts and functions as an intensifier, amplifying the negative meaning of "ghastly". While effective for conveying strong emotions, it may be too informal for highly professional settings. For more formal situations, consider using alternatives like "utterly dreadful" or "completely horrific". When it comes to communicating extreme displeasure, "absolutely ghastly" delivers a punch, but choose the occasion carefully.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utterly dreadful

Replaces "ghastly" with "dreadful" and "absolutely" with "utterly" conveying a similar sense of extreme unpleasantness.

completely horrifying

Substitutes "ghastly" with "horrifying" and "absolutely" with "completely" indicating extreme horror.

thoroughly appalling

Uses "thoroughly" instead of "absolutely" and "appalling" in place of "ghastly" to denote something deeply shocking and unpleasant.

totally repulsive

Replaces "ghastly" with "repulsive" and "absolutely" with "totally" emphasizing the disgusting nature of something.

downright awful

Employs a more informal tone, replacing "absolutely ghastly" with "downright awful" to express strong disapproval.

simply atrocious

Uses "simply" instead of "absolutely" and "atrocious" to replace "ghastly", conveying a sense of extreme wickedness or unpleasantness.

positively gruesome

Replaces "ghastly" with "gruesome" and "absolutely" with "positively", emphasizing the horrifying and disgusting nature.

genuinely sickening

Uses "genuinely" in place of "absolutely" and "sickening" instead of "ghastly", focusing on the nauseating aspect of something.

unquestionably terrible

Substitutes "absolutely ghastly" with "unquestionably terrible" to express an undeniable sense of something being very bad.

indisputably dreadful

Replaces "absolutely" with "indisputably" and "ghastly" with "dreadful" to convey that something is undeniably bad or unpleasant.

FAQs

How can I use "absolutely ghastly" in a sentence?

You can use "absolutely ghastly" to describe something extremely unpleasant or horrifying. For example: "The food at the restaurant was "absolutely ghastly", I couldn't eat it."

What's a less intense alternative to "absolutely ghastly"?

If you want to express disapproval without being too strong, consider using alternatives like "very unpleasant", "quite awful", or "really bad".

Is "absolutely ghastly" suitable for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "absolutely ghastly" might be too informal for certain formal contexts. Alternatives like "utterly dreadful" or "completely horrific" may be more appropriate.

What kind of things can I describe as "absolutely ghastly"?

You can describe various things as "absolutely ghastly", including movies, food, experiences, or ideas that you find extremely unpleasant or horrifying.