aghast
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of aghast
1225–75; Middle English agast frightened, past participle of agasten, equivalent to a- a- 3 + gasten, Old English gǣstan to frighten, earlier *gāstjan < Germanic causative *gaistjan; see ghost
Explanation
Would you be aghast, or shocked, to find out that your friends believe in ghosts, or would you share their frightened, or aghast, looks when a floating white being hovers over the campfire? Aghast comes from Old English gasten, "frighten," which comes in turn from gāst, "ghost." If you've seen a look of absolute shock or terror on someone's face — like when your mom (or dad) sees a mouse — you can describe the look with the adjective aghast. If someone says "You should have seen the look on your face!" after sneaking up on you, you probably looked aghast yourself. "Boo!"
Vocabulary lists containing aghast
The Outsiders
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"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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"Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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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.
While the Bogong migration continued in the years following the population crash, scientists were aghast at how few moths were making the journey.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Her fans, some “who knew something was terribly wrong but assumed she had cancer or some other disease,” were aghast at her appearance whenever she took the stage.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
Her family sat aghast through the trial, trying to absorb not just the enormity of what had happened but also the tragedy of knowing that major companies could have revealed Krug's stalker far earlier.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
He had a British passport but was aghast at any suggestion that he could leave as political trouble was impending.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Elizabeth stands in the corner, elbows pressed to her sides, looking as aghast as I feel and paler than usual.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
