appalling
Americanadjective
adjective
-
causing extreme dismay, horror, or revulsion
-
very bad
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of appalling
Explanation
Something that is appalling is awful or horrible, causing dismay or disgust. It's definitely not appealing. Like so many things, people have different opinions on what is appalling. Most people find the idea of children living in poverty appalling. Just about everyone thinks a vicious "sport" like dog-fighting is appalling. If you're rich, paying a lot of taxes might be appalling. A football announcer might say that a sloppy play was appalling. Your parents might say the state of your room is appalling. This word can fit just about any situation that disgusts you.
Vocabulary lists containing appalling
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Brave New World
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Derek had the longest list, obviously, but I’ve met some appalling ends.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
But in the wake of the Gorton and Denton by-election in February she said it was "appalling that separatist campaigning was carried out in Urdu by the Green Party".
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Jasvinder Sanghera, the Independent Survivor Advocate appointed by Harrods, who has worked with Brittan, said the incident was "absolutely appalling".
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday denounced the "appalling treatment" of activists aboard the Gaza-bound aid flotilla as "unacceptable," in a call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, according to a statement.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
There was a sudden and appalling hush; eyes floated uncomfortably, not knowing where to look.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
