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to appall

to appall

64 5.5
To make someone feel shocked and very upset by something cruel or wrong
  • verb
  • /əˈpɔl/
translation icon : horrorizar
  • Indeed, the TV correspondents who interviewed citizens on the street were appalled at the ferocity of the comments.
  • appalled by the way
  • rightly appalled
  • appalled to say

Examples

  • In Stalinist Russia, she was appalled by the conditions under which the astronomers lived and worked.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Americans, including most in the Irish-American Catholic community, were appalled by the gruesome images of the sunken ship.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Are you not appalled by that?

  • - I am appalled by the alleged criminal action of Mr. King.

  • Some of our number were initially appalled at your proposal that we simply return the money.

  • Ramon is a bit appalled by the attack.

  • She even visited the prison and was just appalled by the conditions.

  • When Jim entered the cramped, instrument-packed cockpit, he was appalled by what he saw.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The Political Science Quarterly reviewer was appalled at these Marxists writing with sectarian assurance.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Many people were appalled by the cruel treatment of animals in that documentary.

Synonyms

to shock
vsto appall
202 2.1

To cause someone to feel sudden surprise and distress

is deeper, including strong fear and lasting upset rather than just surprise
to disturb
vsto appall
153 2.5

Make someone feel deeply worried or upset

stresses intense shock and strong fear rather than ongoing anxiety
to horrify
vsto appall
90 4.3

Make someone feel very shocked, afraid, or disgusted

is broader, meaning deep shock or long lasting upset rather than only intense fear
to dismay
vsto appall
37 4.4

Make someone feel shocked or worried by something unexpected

leans toward deep shocking upset rather than milder disappointment or worry
to floor
vsto appall
15 6.6

To surprise someone so much they cannot react

is about deep and lasting upset rather than a brief stunned reaction
to unsettle
vsto appall
7 4.9

To make someone feel worried or uneasy

is stronger, causing deep shock and strong fear rather than only unease
to revulse
vsto appall
9.3

Make someone feel sudden shock or disgust

focuses on deep shocking upset rather than being mainly about disgust
to unfix
vsto appall
9.1

Make someone feel upset and unable to think clearly

means deep shocking upset rather than a temporary loss of composure

Antonyms

172 1.0

To make someone feel less upset or in pain

163 3.4

To make someone feel less worried and more confident

How Shocked

to petrify
7 4.8
to horrify
90 4.3
to appall
64 5.5
to shock
202 2.1
to alarm
133 1.9
to startle
131 3.7

Surface Forms

appall infinitive
appalled past
appalled past participle
appalling present participle
appalls third person singular

Etymology

Appall comes from an old Latin word pallere meaning 'to be pale' and is related to the common word pale. So, to appall someone is to make them 'go pale' with shock or horror.