Appalled

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Feeling a profound sense of shock or horror in response to something deeply unsettling
2. Experiencing intense dismay or revulsion due to a disturbing event or situation
3. Overcome with strong feelings of distress and disbelief caused by something troubling

Etymology: "Appall" arrived in English from Old French "apalir" (later "apallir"), meaning "to grow pale," built from "a-" and "pale." The sense of turning white with fear or shock came first, so the word's original picture was of someone's face draining of colour. Its modern meaning of being horrified or dismayed grew out of that image of sudden pallor. The adjective "appalled" simply takes the ending "-ed" added to "appall," the same way many English adjectives are formed from verbs. It describes someone who has been struck by that shock, which is why the word still carries the sense of being stunned rather than merely annoyed.

Synonyms: horrified, shocked, disgusted, dismayed, outraged

Antonyms: unmoved, calm, pleased, satisfied, content