- causing extreme dismay, horror, or revulsion
- very bad
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ap•pall•ing /əˈpɔlɪŋ/USA pronunciation
adj. awful;
terrible:The food was appalling.
ap•pall•ing•ly, adv.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- shocking;
horrifying:an appalling accident.
terrible:The food was appalling.
ap•pall•ing
(ə pô′ling),USA pronunciation adj.
ap•pall′ing•ly, adv.
- causing dismay or horror:an appalling accident; an appalling lack of manners.
- appall + -ing2 1810–20
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
appalling /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/ adj
ap•pall or ap•pal /əˈpɔl/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -palled, -pall•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to fill or overcome with horror, shock, or fear;
dismay greatly:The terrible fire appalled the neighbors.
ap•pal
(ə pôl′),USA pronunciation v.t., -palled, -pal•ling.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- appall.
ap•pall
(ə pôl′),USA pronunciation v.t.
- to fill or overcome with horror, consternation, or fear;
dismay:He was appalled by the damage from the fire. I am appalled at your mistakes.Also, appal.
- Middle French ap(p)allir to grow or make pale, equivalent. to a- a-5 + pal(l)ir in same sense; see pale1
- Middle English 1275–1325
- horrify, daunt. See frighten.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
appal, US appall /əˈpɔːl/ vb ( -pals, -palling, -palled) ( US -palls, -palling, -palled)
- (transitive) to fill with horror; shock or dismay
'appalling' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
formidable
- grim
- hideous
- horrendous
- horrible
- Moloch
- outrageous
- terrible
- wastage
- shocking