appalled

adjective

ap·​palled ə-ˈpȯld How to pronounce appalled (audio)
: affected by strong feelings of shock and dismay
… the Allied commanders were appalled to learn that 300 glider troops had drowned at sea.Kathleen McAuliffe
I was amazed, impressed, appalled, touched, embarrassed. Most of all, I was mad as hell.Ken Kesey
Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession; whereupon the mariners became more and more appalledHerman Melville

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The day before the Sox were swept by Toronto during their final road series of the season, Cora was up-front about the team’s struggles against the division and somewhat appalled. Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2022 Hannah is kind of appalled, but it’s not a deal-breaker for her. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2021 But the company relented after facing a backlash from appalled customers and a slumping stock price. Washington Post, 24 June 2021 The final moments of Floyd's life, captured on video by appalled and angry bystanders, illustrated in clear visuals what Black Americans have long said about the ways that the criminal justice system dehumanizes Black people. Eric Levenson, CNN, 29 Mar. 2021 But the idea leaves most epidemiologists both appalled and incredulous. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2020 Bielsa gave a press conference where in addition to apologizing, his detailed PowerPoint presentation of his research on every one of the division's teams either pushed you further in favor of El Loco's methods, or more appalled. Glen Levy, CNN, 9 Sep. 2020 Georgina de Kock, an artist and entrepreneur (who previously sold homemade chocolates and screen prints), launched Munch Bowls in 2014 after working at food markets and becoming appalled at the amount of packaging used to serve street food. Stephanie Bailey And Marion Edmunds, CNN, 29 Nov. 2019 Every Victorian can rightly feel not only appalled, deeply saddened and heartbroken, but angry. Mélissa Godin, Time, 4 Feb. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'appalled.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of appall

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of appalled was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near appalled

Cite this Entry

“Appalled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appalled. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

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