appal

/əˈpɔːl/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈpɔːl/ (ame, ipa)

appal — verb

1. to upset and disgust someone deeply, usually because they think the thing they h

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to upset and disgust someone deeply, usually because they think the thing they have seen, heard, or learned about is morally wrong or seriously bad.

例句

The conditions inside the old prison appalled the visiting journalists.

appal + [people] for moral shock at something witnessed

Tamar was appalled by the way the manager spoke to the cleaning staff.

passive: be appalled by + [behaviour]

同義詞
  • horrify

    very close synonym; slightly more about fear and revulsion than moral judgement

  • shock

    weaker and more neutral; can be positive or negative, while 'appal' is always negative

  • dismay

    softer; about disappointment and discouragement rather than disgust

  • outrage

    stronger anger component; 'appal' leans more toward dismay and disgust

反義詞
  • delight

    to please greatly — opposite emotional reaction

  • reassure

    to calm someone's worry, the opposite of provoking moral shock

文法句型

appal + somebody

be appalled by/at + something

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive: 'be appalled by/at'. The cause is usually something the speaker judges as morally wrong, cruel, or shockingly bad — not merely surprising. Stronger and more formal than 'shock'.

常見錯誤

❌I was appalled by the beautiful sunset.
✅I was amazed by the beautiful sunset.
💡'appal' carries strong negative judgement; never use it for things you admire.
❌The film appalled.
✅The film appalled the audience.
💡'appal' is transitive; it needs an object (the person who is shocked).