dismay, appall, horrify, daunt mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.
dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.
dismayed at the size of the job
appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.
I am appalled by your behavior
horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.
was horrified by such wanton cruelty
daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.
a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber
Examples of horrify in a Sentence
The details of the crime horrified the nation.
They were horrified by the movie's violence.
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He was horrified by the idea of making anyone feel bad.—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025 Television cameras captured the ensuing violence, horrifying much of the nation.—Time, 12 Sep. 2025 The grisly murder stayed a local story until horrifying CCTV footage of the incident started making the rounds on social media last weekend.—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025 The Piton Decision That Changed Everything The defining moment in Patagonia's history came in the early 1960s, when Chouinard made a decision that would horrify every McKinsey consultant.—Kyle Westaway, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for horrify
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