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Definition of appall in English:

appall

Pronunciation /əˈpôl/ /əˈpɔl/

Translate appall into Spanish

transitive verbappalls, appalling, appalled

[with object]

  • Greatly dismay or horrify.

    ‘bankers are appalled at the economic incompetence of some officials’
    • ‘Those who aren't outraged are merely appalled, if not by the lyrics, by the production.’
    • ‘I was similarly appalled at the condition of the park on my last visit to my home village two years ago.’
    • ‘He looked shocked and appalled by this and turned his attention onto Alex.’
    • ‘She was appalled at the condition of the place, but at least it kept them out of the cold and rain.’
    • ‘He is appalled at the lack of courteous response and civil helpfulness that he took for granted in his younger life.’
    • ‘He would also have been appalled that homegrown players had so quickly adopted the cheating tendency.’
    • ‘Residents living close to where it is proposed to build the facility are appalled.’
    • ‘Residents in Victoria Street were today appalled that such a crime occurred on their doorsteps.’
    • ‘Pensioners' charities and lobby groups are appalled at the problems we are storing up for the future.’
    • ‘She is appalled to see him stand before them with folded hands and humbly assert that he was fine.’
    • ‘One mother of two boys, said she had been appalled at the choice of subject matter.’
    • ‘Patricia said she is appalled that she was left stranded to deal with the crisis herself.’
    • ‘It was things like the absence of drinks and the sheer lack of respect for elderly people, which appalled me.’
    • ‘On the other hand, most readers would probably be appalled and aghast at this stuff.’
    • ‘I came back hoping to hear good things and I am appalled that it has fallen apart this way.’
    • ‘I was appalled to discover that my evening out was going to double in price.’
    • ‘Xu was so appalled at the news that she decided to quit her habit of eating at roadside food stands.’
    • ‘My mother was appalled that we had even contemplated taking Percy to the vet to be put down.’
    • ‘I returned to the car within two hours, and was appalled to see this penalty notice.’
    • ‘Should they be appalled because of the lack of respect the artist has shown towards a human body?’
    horrify, shock, dismay, distress greatly, outrage, scandalize, alarm

Origin

Middle English from Old French apalir ‘grow pale’, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + palir ‘to pale’. The original sense was ‘grow pale’, later ‘make pale’, hence ‘horrify’ (late Middle English).