appall
Americanverb (used with object)
Synonym Usage
See frighten.
Etymology
Origin of appall
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French ap(p)allir “to grow or make pale,” equivalent to a- a- 5 + pal(l)ir in same sense; see pale 1
Explanation
That tattoo on your lower back is likely to appall your mother. Just like her pink hair once appalled your grandmother. To appall is to shock and disgust. Appall comes from an Old French word meaning "to make pale." If a gory scene in a movie appalls you, you're likely to turn pale. The word appall always carries with it the feeling of disgust. You might be shocked by a loud noise, but in order for it to appall you, it would probably have to come along with a really foul smell or a gruesome scene.
Vocabulary lists containing appall
Twelve Years a Slave
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Black Like Me
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"Heart of Darkness," Vocabulary from the novella
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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.
Few of them anger or appall, though they tend not to support the supposed Dudamel of all-star energy; some of his readings are frankly rather staid.
From New York Times ● May 13, 2023
The blasts shoo the ravenous harbor seals off for a moment, and thrill — or appall — the tourists.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2022
“This should appall everyone who wants to live in a civilized society.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2020
Even if you’re steeped in the saga of Steubenville, the film contains plenty to appall you afresh.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 22, 2019
Never “anywheres”! “The aliens could be almost anywhere, ” said Ripley. appall.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
