Crossword clues for appalling
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Appalling \Ap*pall"ing\, a. Such as to appall; as, an appalling accident. -- Ap*pall"ing*ly, adv.
Appall \Ap*pall"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Appalled; p. pr. & vb. n. Appalling.] [OF. appalir to grow pale, make pale; a (L. ad) + p[^a]lir to grow pale, to make pale, p[^a]le pale. See Pale, a., and cf. Pall.]
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To make pale; to blanch. [Obs.]
The answer that ye made to me, my dear, . . . Hath so appalled my countenance.
--Wyatt. -
To weaken; to enfeeble; to reduce; as, an old appalled wight. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.Wine, of its own nature, will not congeal and freeze, only it will lose the strength, and become appalled in extremity of cold.
--Holland. -
To depress or discourage with fear; to impress with fear in such a manner that the mind shrinks, or loses its firmness; to overcome with sudden terror or horror; to dismay; as, the sight appalled the stoutest heart.
The house of peers was somewhat appalled at this alarum.
--Clarendon.Syn: To dismay; terrify; daunt; frighten; affright; scare; depress. See Dismay.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1620s, present participle adjective from appall. Colloquial weakened sense of "distasteful" is attested from 1919.
Wiktionary
horrify and astonishing. v
(present participle of appall English)
WordNet
adj. causing consternation; "appalling conditions" [syn: dismaying]
n. an experience that appalls; "is it better to view the appalling or merely hear of it?"
v. strike with disgust or revulsion; "The scandalous behavior of this married woman shocked her friends" [syn: shock, offend, scandalize, scandalise, appall, outrage]
fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised; "I was horrified at the thought of being late for my interview"; "The news of the executions horrified us" [syn: dismay, alarm, appall, horrify]
See appal
Usage examples of "appalling".
Jesamine, who found something insulting and appalling to say about all of them.
So Brett took Finn where he wanted to go, introduced him to the often appalling people Finn said he needed to meet, and did a lot of sitting miserably in corners, with his arms folded tightly over his aching stomach.
Finn Durandal immediately, as he sat and listened patiently while they all but fell over themselves detailing all the appalling things they could do for him, for the right price.
The populations of the attacked Rim worlds had been driven insane by the presence of the Terrors appalling heralds, but Corcoran had been right at the edge of the solar system, racing towards hyperspace and safety.
He was faster and stronger than any man had a right to be, and guards fell dead and dying at his feet with appalling speed and ease.
Then those High Guards had fought like fiends, inflicting appalling losses on the Mandrocs.
Suddenly, the memory of Andawyr and the strange horror that had surrounded him, returned with an appalling vividness.
Courage, loyalty, sacrifice, the knowledge to survive in the most appalling conditions.
A faint clarion call sounded and, with an appalling suddenness, horror and darkness engulfed him as he battled, weary in every fibre of his soul and body, against the endless waves of an unseen enemy that must inevitably triumph.
For a brief instant the sight filled Eldric with an appalling and unreasoning fear and it was only with great effort that he did not turn and flee.
For an instant he heard the rock song and felt its appalling defilement.
Not the cautious, thoughtful Kingship of Rgoric and his predecessors, but some appalling, unfettered authority over everyone and everything.
Rgoric lay face down in a welter of blood, his back and head torn and gashed with appalling wounds.
Later on, when you are less appalling to look at, I shall require that you apologize to Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
Gaius Marius received a letter from Publius Rutilius Rufus, long delayed en route by a series of appalling storms.