: inspiring horror, dismay, or disgust
living under appalling conditions
appalling savagery
appallingly
adverb
Synonyms
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
There’s no doubt that Trump is a populist, but there’s nothing inherently populist about, say, his appalling conduct after the 2020 election, which had to do with his character flaws, not any political ideology.
—
The Editors, National Review, 8 Sep. 2023
In terms of livability, the Triangle Zone was appalling.
—Haruki Murakami, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2023
Less than an hour in, the first racer waved his boat over and struggled aboard, defeated by the appalling conditions.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023
Ronald Zepp, a graduate of the school system and grandparent of current students, said the reading of pornographic content at the previous board meeting was appalling, and that the Moms for Liberty group was responsible for exposing children to it.
—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2023
No number of pushy laughs here can make Doug’s mistreatment of Reggie seem anything less than appalling, even if — or especially because — the pooch misguidedly believes his owner adores him, and that Doug’s efforts to lose him are just a fun game.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
This punchline was so air quotes appalling that gay viewers could enjoy it without having to fret that straight viewers might get the wrong idea about us.
—Mark Harris, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023
And what are our community leaders going to do about the appalling oversight to the county that clearly failed teachers, students and parents?
—Alexandra Robbins, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2023
Conditions were appalling, and Wallach evokes them memorably.
—Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2023
See More
The Editors, National Review, 8 Sep. 2023
In terms of livability, the Triangle Zone was appalling.
—Haruki Murakami, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2023
Less than an hour in, the first racer waved his boat over and struggled aboard, defeated by the appalling conditions.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023
Ronald Zepp, a graduate of the school system and grandparent of current students, said the reading of pornographic content at the previous board meeting was appalling, and that the Moms for Liberty group was responsible for exposing children to it.
—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2023
No number of pushy laughs here can make Doug’s mistreatment of Reggie seem anything less than appalling, even if — or especially because — the pooch misguidedly believes his owner adores him, and that Doug’s efforts to lose him are just a fun game.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
This punchline was so air quotes appalling that gay viewers could enjoy it without having to fret that straight viewers might get the wrong idea about us.
—Mark Harris, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023
And what are our community leaders going to do about the appalling oversight to the county that clearly failed teachers, students and parents?
—Alexandra Robbins, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2023
Conditions were appalling, and Wallach evokes them memorably.
—Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2023
See More
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
Dictionary Entries Near appalling
Cite this Entry
“Appalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appalling. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
appalling
adjective
ap·pall·ing
ə-ˈpȯl-iŋ
: inspiring horror or dismay : shocking
appallingly
adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on appalling
Nglish: Translation of appalling for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of appalling for Arabic Speakers
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