aghast.

Struck by horrified astonishment at something shocking or alarming.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• stand aghast
• aghast at the damage
• look aghast

On the page

She stood aghast at the missing section of bridge.

The accountant was aghast when he saw how many families would lose their savings.

Aghast, the rescuers realized the signal had come from inside the flooded tunnel.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Combines shock with horror or dismay; not a pure synonym for afraid and not appropriate for mild surprise. Usually predicative. Normally non-gradable in this sense; degree words describe intensity, not a regular comparison.