different between ghastly vs gory

English

Etymology

From a conflation of a derivation of Old English g?stan (“to torment, frighten”) with the suffix -lic, and ghostly (which was also spelt "gastlich" in Middle English). Equivalent to ghast/gast + -ly. Spelling with 'gh' developed 16th century due to the conflation.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????s(t).li/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??æs(t).li/

Adjective

ghastly (comparative ghastlier, superlative ghastliest)

1. Like a ghost in appearance; death-like; pale; pallid; dismal.
   • 1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

     Each turned his face with a ghastly pang.
2. Horrifyingly shocking.
3. Extremely bad.

Synonyms

• (sickly pale): See also Thesaurus:pallid
• (horrifyingly shocking): lurid

Translations

Adverb

ghastly (not comparable)

1. In a ghastly manner.
   • 1921, William Dudley Pelley, The Fog: A Novel, page 196:

     Johnathan's lips moved ghastly before his voice would come. "So I'm crazy, am I? And if I choose to murder you, what would you do?"

English

Etymology

From gore +? -y. Compare Middle English güre, gire, girre (“gory, clotted”), from Old English gyr, gyru (“filthy, muddy”), from gor (“dirt, dung”); Old Frisian gere, iere (“muddy water”). More at gore.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?????.i/
• Rhymes: -??ri

Adjective

gory (comparative gorier, superlative goriest)

1. covered with blood, very bloody
2. (informal) unpleasant

   Her autobiography gives all the gory details of her many divorces.

Translations

Anagrams

• Gy?r, gyro, gyro-, ogry, orgy

Lower Sorbian

Noun

gory

1. Superseded spelling of góry.