appalled 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of appallednext
as in aghast

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appalled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of appall
as in shocked
to cause an unpleasant surprise for conditions inside the house overrun with cats simply appalled animal control officers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 appalled
Adjective
And part of me is a little appalled by that. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026 Coogan said, sounding less appalled than giddy at the figure. — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Francis said she was appalled upon learning the result of the appeal two days into the current semester. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Smith died at the age of ninety-four in 2017, having seen many years of the internet gossip reporting that came after her and having been appalled by it. — Lindsey Weber, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for appalled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appalled
  1. aghast
  2. shocked
  3. horrified
  4. stunned
  5. surprised
  6. dismayed
  7. bewildered
Adjective
  • Each of these scandals generated countless headlines from an aghast press and commentariat class.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • At first Burgomeister is aghast at such a horrific proposal and rebuffs her offer.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of aghast
Verb
  • His daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, wrote that her father was shocked with a Taser twice and pinned to the ground before being taken to the hospital for serious injuries.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The news of the cancer diagnosis on Tuesday shocked people inside the Vatican and across the Catholic world, given the pope was known for being in good physical shape.
    — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • Gomez, 67, recalled, watching as responding officers pulled a horrified boy from the car.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Greg O'Neill, 63, was swimming at Sorrento Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia on Friday when the attack happened in front of horrified beachgoers.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrified
Verb
  • An Oklahoma copper theft suspect stunned a deputy with a headfirst dive through a closed window, but overlooked one detail that helped deputies track him down.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But these three diffuse galaxies, known as DF2, DF4, and DF9, have left astronomers stunned.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of stunned
Adjective
  • As a highly knowledgeable observer of hip-hop trends, Bun B hasn’t been surprised to see the way that Drake’s career has bounced back from the negative headlines of 2024 and 2025.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
  • While working on these series, Childs and Palek were surprised to learn how often people lie.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of surprised
Adjective
  • But minutes later, Austria tied the game again, leaving the lobby in dismayed silence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
  • His reflexive suspicion of causes left him more dismayed than energized by the nascent conflict.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of dismayed
Adjective
  • They were soon surrounded by a crowd of about 1,000 bewildered villagers, who alerted forest officials patrolling nearby.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • What appears before the bewildered trio is a boy with a face resembling a frog’s, named Fūsuke.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of bewildered

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Cite this Entry

“Appalled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appalled. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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