appal
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Etymology
Origin of appal
C14: from Old French appalir to turn pale
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.
See Examples For:
The wild child of rock n' roll had found a whole new generation to appal.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2022
"I know this will shock and appal the local community and I want to assure them we will do all we can to identify and bring to justice those responsible."
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2022
“I’m often trying to either appal or amuse or entertain you with an idea,” he says, addressing her.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 1, 2019
"That a man can be targeted when he is attending a hospital to visit his wife and newly born son continues to appal all right-minded members of society."
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2013
Think over all thou might'st have been, Contrast it then with all thou art: A retrospect so dark and keen May well appal thy shuddering heart.
From Trevethlan (Vol 3 of 3) A Cornish Story. by William Davy Watson
Zimmer had been appalled by Harvard’s actions after the attacks and troubled by the ensuing antisemitism on campus, said people who know him, a time when one of his daughters had been a student there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The Yosemite NPS Employees Union said it was "appalled" by the ceding of public lands for private interests, calling the proposed trade "antithetical to what we stand for" as stewards of the park.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Kris is a queer filmmaker taking on the task of reclaiming the slasher horror film-within-the-film, “Camp Miasma,” rebooting it for the queer community to no longer be appalled by.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
He also tried to subtly rebut concerns among those who had watched the debate and were appalled by Graham’s gaffe.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Though she applauds their self-confidence, Letitia Lundeen, the antiques dealer, says she is sometimes appalled by what she considers the cavalier ignorance of some women who are suddenly rich.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said on Tuesday that the borough had been "shaken" by the "appalling and deeply tragic incident".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The monarch, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, acknowledged the "appalling atrocity of slavery" the Caribbean island suffered during a speech he made.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Judge John Morris KC told Nabizada he had committed an "appalling betrayal of trust" during sentencing after he was found unanimously guilty at a High Court trial last month.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
"At that point, I told the people with me let's go there for work... let's try our luck too," she added, saying she wanted to leave for Europe because she works "under appalling conditions".
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Tell me a bit about yourself,” she said at last, “what was it you were doing in the south of France? Living with some appalling American woman, Maxim said.”
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
