appalling 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈpȯ-liŋ How to pronounce appalling (audio)
Definition of appallingnext
1
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment opening your mouth to show me your half-chewed food is absolutely appalling

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2
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent appalling crimes against humanity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

appalling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of appall
as in shocking
to cause an unpleasant surprise for conditions inside the house overrun with cats simply appalled animal control officers

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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 appalling
Adjective
Trump paid them substandard wages, and their working conditions were appalling. — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 By 2023, that number had fallen to roughly 107,000 — an appalling 45% decline. — Laurel Donnellan, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Verb
The young Forster recoiled from the school’s culture of authoritarianism and militaristic chauvinism, which may have found expression in the students’ often appalling attitudes toward their own mothers. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 May 2026 Of all the recent poster boys for appalling misbehavior by the State Police, Michael Proctor would of course rank number one. — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for appalling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appalling
  1. disgusting
  2. horrific
  3. shocking
  4. awful
  5. gruesome
  6. horrifying
  7. horrible
  8. terrible
Adjective
  • There is real hope of a postseason push, with the disgusting state of the American League leaving the door open for any team that dares to play well.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This whole situation is discriminatory, disgusting, and quite frankly, Orwellian.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • For advocates, the law speaks to the horrific circumstances families can endure when a medical issue is misconstrued as abuse.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
  • This is your big opportunity to pay tribute, to be a uniter, not a divider, on the day recalling the horrific events of a quarter century ago.
    — Ken Frydman, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrific
Verb
  • Mali pulled off the first stunner of the Women's Basketball World Cup by shocking Spain 82-73 on Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Those 12 minutes of shocking terror redefined the slasher genre.
    — Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • To Morrison, as well as to the filmmakers, this awful backstory makes something cathartic of his accomplishment.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • So the fact that there was this whole section of gay actors who weren’t allowed to do that is awful.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • The Menendez brothers, imprisoned 37 years in the gruesome murder of their parents, are getting a second shot at freedom.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Simply to give us the gruesome scene of the kid convulsing to death while leaking blood from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Verb
  • The complications are horrifying doctors.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 24 June 2026
  • Following her rescue, horrifying details of what happened to Jaycee began to emerge.
    — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Definition of horrifying
Adjective
  • Turkish football is a chaotic, infuriating, sometimes horrible but always entertaining place.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The defense says their client had no control over her fatal actions despite the clear planning of the horrible event.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • McDaniel is an expert communicator — and terrible at communicating with modern devices.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Before the terrible day was over firehouses, street corners and parks became mourning places.
    — Robert W. Snyder, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrible

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Cite this Entry

“Appalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appalling. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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