Ghast
/ɡɑːst/noun
An archaic word meaning ghostly, terrified, or pale with fear.
Did you know?Ghast is the older cousin of ghost, and both descend from a Proto-Germanic root meaning “spirit” or “breath,” showing how ancient languages linked life, soul, and haunting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gaistaz
“spirit, ghost, supernatural being”
Old English
OE
gǣst
“spirit, soul, ghost”
Old English
OE
ġǣstlic
“ghostly, terrifying”
Middle English
ME
ghast
“terrified, pale, dreadful”
Modern English
English
ghast
“archaic: ghostly or horrified”