1
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
opening your mouth to show me your half-chewed food is absolutely appalling
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
appalling crimes against humanity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shocking
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
conditions inside the house overrun with cats simply appalled animal control officers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of appalling
Joshua Sammons, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025
Truth is often stranger — and sometimes more appalling — than fiction.
—Peter J. Forcelli, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
There are so many questions that arise from this latest downturn: 2-5-2 in their last nine and an appalling 4-8-1 in their last 13 at the Garden, including four straight regulation losses.
—Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
My coworkers labor tirelessly to provide the best care possible to these children and adolescents despite these appalling circumstances.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appalling
Adjective
There have been some appalling train tragedies due to lack of proper funding.
—Joshua Sammons, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025
Truth is often stranger — and sometimes more appalling — than fiction.
—Peter J. Forcelli, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
There are so many questions that arise from this latest downturn: 2-5-2 in their last nine and an appalling 4-8-1 in their last 13 at the Garden, including four straight regulation losses.
—Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
My coworkers labor tirelessly to provide the best care possible to these children and adolescents despite these appalling circumstances.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appalling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appalling
Adjective
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The fridge was smelly and disgusting before it was replaced about a week later.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2025
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Few things in this war have been more morally disgusting than the present hunt after traitors and Quislings.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission.—
Danielle Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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Of course, some eight hundred thousand did die—many in horrific ways—while the formerly enslaved were left to fend for themselves in a postwar state where apartheid was enforced by terror.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Jung-bae wound up in a room of three, with Player 001 and some rando — but Player 001 choked the stranger to death in time to reduce their head count, shocking Jung-bae more than a bit.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
26 Dec. 2024
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Fox News Digital obtained shocking audio between Cyrus and his estranged wife where the country crooner is heard berating his Australian ex and using profane language.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Before the turn of the year, Manchester City were stuck in an awful rut.—
Sam Tighe,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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Back when Michael Jordan owned the team, the Hornets once went 7-59 in a season so awful that a movie got made about it.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Surely Yellowstone, with its large predators and geothermal activity will deliver something gruesome.—
Wes Siler,
Outside Online,
19 Apr. 2025
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The gruesome spectacle that follows earns raucous cheers and applause from the slack-jawed onlookers.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Wade has been in a horrible slump since the season started and going in to Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels is hitting .096 (5-for-52) with a homer, seven RBIs, eight walks and an on base percentage of .213.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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The Braves desperately need to add a shortstop and some offensive help amid their horrible start to the season.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Public interest in the film intensified after a stroke of terrible happenstance.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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United have fallen massively and it’s been a terrible watch all season, bar a couple of highs.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And once the sickening jolts of the combat takeoff had ended and Bui slowly grew accustomed to the noise and the pressure of the C-130, the taste of KFC stopped his crying.—
Jennifer Brookland,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2025
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To take but one example, the riots that convulsed swatches of England and Northern Ireland last year were fueled by social media accounts claiming sickening crimes by immigrants, amplified by right-wing accounts.—
David Robert Grimes,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Appalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appalling. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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