appalling

adjective

ap·​pall·​ing ə-ˈpȯ-liŋ How to pronounce appalling (audio)
: inspiring horror, dismay, or disgust
living under appalling conditions
appalling savagery
appallingly adverb

Examples of appalling in a Sentence

We drove by an appalling accident on the highway. opening your mouth to show me your half-chewed food is absolutely appalling
Recent Examples on the Web
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The minstrelsy of late-night-TV activism Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart protested the cancellation by CBS of his cohort Stephen Colbert’s Late Show by staging an appalling musical routine on The Daily Show, circling the wagons in Colbert’s defense. Armond White, National Review, 25 July 2025 And the shrapnel causes the most appalling internal damage, destroying many of the internal organs. Sacha Pfeiffer, NPR, 21 July 2025 The results of all this hyper-production are both glorious and appalling. David Denby, New Yorker, 20 July 2025 Sixteen months later, those appalling details still resonate here. Kansas City Star, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for appalling

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of appall

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of appalling was in 1635

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appalling. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

appalling

adjective
ap·​pall·​ing
ə-ˈpȯl-iŋ
: inspiring horror or dismay : shocking
appallingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on appalling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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