aghast

adjective

ə-ˈgast How to pronounce aghast (audio)
Definition of aghastnext
as in terrified
filled with fear or dread I stood there, aghast, as the vile monster made its way toward me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of aghast Several of Chisholm’s teammates were aghast at Flemming also suggesting Red Sox reliever Jovani Morán should throw at Austin Wells in the batter’s box as retaliation. — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026 His siblings were aghast to see [their father] Ralph depicted as the hapless poor dad in the book. — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 Still, individuals Variety spoke with at competing studios — especially in business affairs, the less glamorous but vital department that closes contracts — were aghast. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 Columns of black smoke rise from targets, often filmed by aghast Russians. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for aghast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aghast
  1. terrified
  2. frightened
  3. afraid
  4. horrified
  5. scared
  6. shocked
  7. alarmed
Adjective
  • Video from a baby monitor showed his terrified sons and wife, Joanna, inside their third-floor apartment as the walls broke open and crashed.
    — Lilia Luciano, CBS News, 14 Nov. 2026
  • The United States and Iran have been at war for months, and the pair claimed asylum to enter the country as Christian converts, so Azizi’s wife was surprised and terrified.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrified
Adjective
  • Byrne, however, believes that the men in these offices were also frightened of how speaking up might affect their careers, with the risk of retaliation higher because of their freelance status.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026
  • At one of the calf ranches, in San Bernardino County, Robert Drummond, a member of DxE’s Los Angeles chapter, filmed handlers who appear to be whipping frightened calves and pulling them by their tails.
    — Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • Haitians in South Florida who lost Temporary Protected Status have lost their jobs and are afraid to step outside.
    — Isvett Verde, Time, 10 Nov. 2026
  • And the chain’s workers weren’t afraid to call her out on mistakes.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Photos from the scene show several UTSA members surrounding the airman on the field after the fatal fall, as medics tended to him in front of horrified spectators.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Gomez, 67, recalled, watching as responding officers pulled a horrified boy from the car.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrified
Adjective
  • And the women — exhausted, filthy, scared, and sometimes wounded themselves — rose to it every time.
    — Leah Garrett, New York Daily News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Twenty-four means the coaches scared of their own shadows and tough nonconference opponents — here’s looking at you, Curt Cignetti — will schedule a more difficult Power 4 because a loss won’t be so punitive.
    — Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater as shocked residents looked on in horror.
    — David Fischer, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Many attendees in the chambers appeared shocked and confused at the proposal for the new ordinance.
    — Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • Since Melanie Federline’s arrest, details in the arrest warrant about loose pills and the use of allergy medicine in the home as a sleep aid have alarmed physicians and child welfare experts.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In New York and then Kansas City, Morgenthau grew alarmed as the United States watched Nazi Germany rearm, annex Austria, and invade Czechoslovakia.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of alarmed

Browse Nearby Words

aggros
aghast
agile
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Cite this Entry

“Aghast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aghast. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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