( BrE ) ( NAmE ap·pall ) / əˈpɔːl; NAmE / verb
( -ll- ) to shock sb very much
SYN horrify :
[ vn ]
The brutality of the crime has appalled the public.
The idea of sharing a room appalled her.
[ vn that ]
It appalled me that they could simply ignore the problem.
[also vn to inf ]
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WORD 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 ).