Ghasts

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Fills someone with terror or shock that leaves them aghast
2. Causes extreme fear or horror that stuns and appalls someone
3. Strikes with sudden and overwhelming dread or consternation

Etymology: "Ghasts" is the third-person singular present of the verb "ghast," a poetic word meaning to terrify or horrify. The verb is a variant of "gast," which descends from Middle English "gasten" and Old English "gǣstan," meaning "to gast, frighten, afflict, torment." The Old English root also appears in "gāstan," meaning "to meditate," so the same stem once covered both mental agitation and fear, a pairing that makes sense once you realise that a sudden fright can leave the mind unsettled. The spelling "ghast" is a later change. It was shaped by the pull of "ghost," which led writers to add the silent "gh" even though the word has no link to spirits. The shift was in appearance only: the word's sense stayed tied to alarm and dread.

Synonyms: horrifies, terrifies, appalls