appall

ap·pall

verb \ə-ˈpȯl\

ap·palledap·pall·ing

Definition of APPALL

intransitive verb

obsolete

: weaken, fail

transitive verb

: to overcome with consternation, shock, or dismay <we were appalled by his behavior>

Variants of APPALL

ap·pall also ap·pal \ə-ˈpȯl\

Examples of APPALL

1. The thought of war appalls me.
2. It appalls me to think of the way those children have been treated.

Origin of APPALL

Middle English, from Middle French apalir, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + palir to grow pale, from Latin pallescere, inchoative of pallēre to be pale — more at fallow

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to APPALL

Synonyms: shock (also appal), floor, jolt, shake up

Related Words: astonish, bowl over, dumbfound (also dumfound), flabbergast, freak (out), stun, stupefy; affright, alarm (also alarum), dismay, fright, frighten, horrify, panic, scare, scarify, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize; disgust, nauseate, repel, revolt, sicken, turn off; displease, offend, outrage, scandalize; amaze, astound, awe; chill, daunt, demoralize, dispirit, emasculate, undo, unman, unnerve, unstring; discomfort, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, shake, unsettle, upset, weird out; crush, overpower, overwhelm

Near Antonyms: buffer, cushion; delight, gratify, please, rejoice, tickle; charm, entice, tempt; assure, cheer, comfort, console, solace, soothe; reassure

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See Synonym Discussion at dismay

Rhymes with APPALL

ALGOL, and all, Antall, Argall, argol, air ball, ashfall, at all, atoll, AWOL, baseball, beach ball, beanball, befall, Bengal, best-ball, birdcall, blackball, Bokmål, bookstall, box stall, bradawl, brick wall, broomball, catcall, catchall, cell wall, COBOL, cold call, cornball, Cornwall, crown gall, cue ball, cure-all, curveball, deadfall, de Gaulle, dodgeball, downfall, downhaul, drywall, duck call, eight ball, enthrall, eyeball, fair ball, fastball, fireball, fire wall, foosball, football, footfall, footwall, forestall, forkball, foul ball, four-ball, fourth wall, free-fall, gadwall, game ball, glycol, golf ball, Goodall, goofball, googol, guildhall, hair ball, handball, hardball, headstall, heelball, highball, holdall, house call, icefall, infall, install, John Paul, jump ball, keelhaul, know-all, landfall, Landsmål, line-haul, line squall, lowball, Maillol, meatball, menthol, mess hall, miscall, mothball, Naipaul, naphthol, Nepal, nightfall, nutgall, oddball, outfall, outhaul, paintball, pinball, pitfall, plimsoll, pratfall, prayer shawl, pub crawl, puffball, punchball, pushball, rainfall, rainsquall, recall, rial, Riksmål, rockfall, roll call, rorqual, Saint Paul, save-all, screwball, seawall, short-haul, shortfall, sick call, sidewall, sleazeball, slimeball, snowball, snowfall, softball, sour ball, speedball, spitball, stickball, stonewall, stone wall, stoopball, strip mall, T-ball, tea ball, tell-all, three-ball, toll call, town hall, trackball, Tyrol, Udall, Walsall, what all, whip stall, Whitehall, whitewall, windfall, windgall, withal, you-all