appalling

adjective

ap·​pall·​ing ə-ˈpȯ-liŋ How to pronounce appalling (audio)
: inspiring horror, dismay, or disgust
living under appalling conditions
appalling savagery
appallingly adverb

Examples of appalling in a Sentence

We drove by an appalling accident on the highway. opening your mouth to show me your half-chewed food is absolutely appalling
Recent Examples on the Web Israel’s citizens were not protected on Oct. 7, 2023, despite what seems to have been indicative prior warning of that appalling Hamas attack. Richard English, TIME, 17 May 2024 As living standards improved, Scutari’s appalling death rate began to decline. Melissa Pritchard, The Conversation, 15 May 2024 Even if Malley didn’t conduct direct talks with Tehran via his own personal network, which seems possible, exposing classified documents to potential hacking operations is appalling enough. The Editors, National Review, 13 May 2024 That is why his later disintegration is so sad, as well as appalling. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 3 May 2024 Without question, this is appalling, shameful, repulsive conduct that could only diminish defendant’s character before the jury. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024 Jefferson’s treatment of Hemings, however enlightened for Virginia in 1790, remains appalling. Jesse Green, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024 Obama’s Leave the World Behind proposed an appalling vision of apocalypse as the State of the Union. Armond White, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024 These are appalling statistics — especially here in one of the most affluent and well-resourced regions in the nation. Andre V. Chapman, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'appalling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of appall

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of appalling was in 1635

Dictionary Entries Near appalling

Cite this Entry

“Appalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appalling. Accessed 23 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

appalling

adjective
ap·​pall·​ing
ə-ˈpȯl-iŋ
: inspiring horror or dismay : shocking
appallingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on appalling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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