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Synonyms

appalling

American  
[uh-paw-ling] / əˈpɔ lɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing dismay or horror.

    an appalling accident; an appalling lack of manners.
appalling British  
/ əˈpɔːlɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing extreme dismay, horror, or revulsion

  2. very bad

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • appallingly adverb
  • unappalling adjective
  • unappallingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of appalling

First recorded in 1810–20; appall + -ing 2

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.

Network Rail said it had been able to clear the Aberdeen- Inverness line by Tuesday evening, despite its teams encountering some "appalling conditions" around Insch.

From BBC

Kendall said the situation was "absolutely appalling", adding "we cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these degrading images."

From BBC

"This is illegal," he said, also calling it "appalling" and "disgusting".

From BBC

The dismissal to Labuschagne's bouncer plan as the second new ball approached was an appalling piece of cricket.

From BBC

As one interview subject points out late in director Tracey Moore’s documentary, the excesses of the English press after the disappearance of Yeates were appalling, yet pale in comparison to what now routinely happens online.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.