appalling
Americanadjective
adjective
-
causing extreme dismay, horror, or revulsion
-
very bad
Other Word Forms
- appallingly adverb
- unappalling adjective
- unappallingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of appalling
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.
Volker Turk, the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned the attacks, saying the numbers killed and injured were appalling.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
But British government minister Wes Streeting told UK broadcasters he regarded West using bipolar disorder "to justify his actions" as "appalling".
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Cdr Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said officers have been working "continuously" to investigate and identify those responsible for the "appalling attacks".
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
We’ve all seen the appalling videos of masked agents ambushing and abducting these migrants in the halls of New York’s immigration court as they’re leaving a hearing.
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026
Shining my headlamp in his direction, I reflexively recoiled when I saw the appalling condition of his face.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
