as in terrified
filled with fear or dread
I stood there, aghast, as the vile monster made its way toward me
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Recent Examples of aghast
Mother is aghast when the head teacher expels Alpha.
—
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Human-rights groups—and even other Afrikaners—have been aghast.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
Ratcliffe was aghast at the level of the expenses being covered by United and commercial executives now fly economy to meetings abroad.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Related Stories Watson Season 1 Ends With a Crucial Fatality — Read Finale Recap
Negan was aghast: his only friend, dead.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for aghast
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Human-rights groups—and even other Afrikaners—have been aghast.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
Ratcliffe was aghast at the level of the expenses being covered by United and commercial executives now fly economy to meetings abroad.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Related Stories Watson Season 1 Ends With a Crucial Fatality — Read Finale Recap
Negan was aghast: his only friend, dead.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for aghast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aghast
Adjective
-
Don’t be afraid to dig deep as this transit sparks your interest in exploring your emotional and creative longings, whether that means tackling personal projects or revisiting childhood passions.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
28 June 2025
-
Keep checking in with yourself, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to pivot.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, federal authorities are hiding, apparently too frightened of online provocateurs and in-person hecklers to do their duty in plain sight.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
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Others who live close to the jail were downright frightened.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
Remember, this animal is likely scared too. Do not move toward the shark.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
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The story itself is stripped to bone and sinew: a sleepy New England beach town that wants tourist dollars more than truth, an invisible killer in plain water, and three men — one scared sheriff, one cocky scientist, one Ahab of a fisherman — set adrift to settle nature’s score.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Feel that stretch in your shoulders, and in your capacity to still be shocked, six months into Trump’s second term.—
Jena Friedman,
New Yorker,
25 June 2025
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Matlin appears shocked but somewhat timid when Hurt, who presented her with the award after winning the previous year's Best Actor statue for Kiss of the Spider Woman, calls and then signs her name.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Inheriting the mantle from Pope Francis, who grew increasingly alarmed by AI's societal risks, Leo is pressing for stronger global governance and ethical oversight of the technology.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
19 June 2025
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That’s what has safety advocates like O’Dowd so alarmed.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aghast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aghast. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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