1
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
opening your mouth to show me your half-chewed food is absolutely appalling
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
appalling crimes against humanity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shocking
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
conditions inside the house overrun with cats simply appalled animal control officers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of appalling
David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Those demonstrations against economic hardship and the regime's appalling financial record snowballed quickly into the nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic's leadership itself.
—Elizabeth Palmer, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Truly appalling friend counsel here from Mindy.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appalling
Adjective
The relentless flow of appalling events eventually overloads the nervous system; the rising tide of brutality, which once seemed shocking, comes to seem unremarkable.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Those demonstrations against economic hardship and the regime's appalling financial record snowballed quickly into the nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic's leadership itself.
—Elizabeth Palmer, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
Of all the recent poster boys for appalling misbehavior by the State Police, Michael Proctor would of course rank number one.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Truly appalling friend counsel here from Mindy.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appalling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appalling
Adjective
-
The Epstein files reveal plenty of powerful people to have tolerated or participated in disgusting and shameful behavior.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
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Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Hall said his mother’s final moments replay on a horrific loop in his head.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Jacquelyn’s attorney, Andrew Nebenzahl, said the company has ignored horrific crashes and entrapments.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Virgo August 23 – September 22 Change doesn’t have to be shocking right now (even though today’s aspects involve Uranus).—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Certain connections could use a rebalance during this alignment of stubborn Venus and shocking Uranus across your connection zone and your business sector.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Bowing to popular demand, Fennell’s lackluster film doesn’t really bother with the stylistic flourishes of the source — this is really just the Cathy and Heathcliffe show, two awful people competing to destroy each other and threatening to take us to hell with them into the bargain.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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In a stroke of awful timing, Devonta’s grandfather also dies during filming.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This story is set in a gruesome, violent, vile world.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
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Throughout the last two days, Ivey centered himself in faith and gratitude — two grounding principles for a player whose career was derailed in January 2025 by a gruesome leg injury.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The visage, created by Universal Studio’s then-lead makeup artist Jack Pierce for the 1931 film, was horrifying enough that its influence endured for almost 100 years.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
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No special effects were required to trigger Curry's stark drift from amiability to horrifying emptiness.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And for the next year its law enforcement members were hailed as heroes for their efforts that prevented a horrible situation from becoming even worse.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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There’s nary a crease to be seen in Bina Daigeler’s costumes, all covetable, unapproachable and tailored to the gods; Matthew Herbert’s score may be among the lushest ever slathered over such horrible goings-on.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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America just passed the 50th anniversary of one of its truly terrible days — one that future historians can track as the beginning of the end of our democracy.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Busch was terrible defensively at third.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Appalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appalling. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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