ghastness

G2H4A1S1T1N1E1S1S1
/ˈɡæs(t)nəs//ˈɡɑːs(t)nəs/

noun

Amazement; terror; fright; fear.

OriginMiddle English gastnes →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounghastness (uncountable)

alternative gastness

  1. archaicuncountableAmazement; terror; fright; fear.

    Look you pale, mistress?―Do you perceive the ghastness of her eye?

    c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]

Origin

  1. Middle Englishgastnes
  2. Englishghastness

From Middle English gastnes, gastnesse, from gast, past participle of gasten (“to terrify”), equivalent to ghast + -ness.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ghastness

vastnesslastnesspastness
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

ghastness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ghastness

MLA

“ghastness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ghastness. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ghastness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ghastness.

Source: ghastness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.