What does appal mean?
Appal is a verb meaning to fill someone with horror, shock, or profound dismay. When people are appalled, they react to something they find morally outrageous, grotesque, or deeply disturbing — a scandal, an act of cruelty, or appalling living conditions. The word derives from the Old French 'apalir', meaning to grow pale, reflecting the idea that horror drains colour from the face; it entered English in the late Middle Ages and has carried its sense of shocked revulsion ever since. In modern usage it appears most often in passive constructions such as 'she was appalled by the report's findings'. British spelling favours 'appal', while American English standardised on 'appall'. Its derivatives include the adjective 'appalling' and the noun form 'appalment'. Because it signals a reaction of genuine moral outrage rather than mere surprise or irritation, 'appal' conveys a register of seriousness: writers reach for it when ordinary words like 'upset' or 'bothered' would understate the gravity of the response.
verbTo appal is to fill someone with horror, shock, or dismay, typically in response to something morally outrageous or deeply disturbing.
- To fill with horror, shock, or dismay at something shocking or morally repugnant.
- (Less commonly) To grow pale or faint from fear or horror — the older, literal sense now largely obsolete.
"The conditions in the factory appalled the inspectors."
"The scale of the disaster appalled even seasoned aid workers."
"She was appalled by the casual cruelty of the remarks."
The word 'appal' literally comes from letting your face go pale — 'to pall' — so being appalled once meant going white with fear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of appal
Appal comes from the Old French 'apalir', formed from 'a-' (to) plus 'palir' (to grow pale), ultimately tracing back to Latin 'pallidus', pale. The original sense — to make pale with fear — was still current in early modern English but gradually gave way to the modern meaning of filling with horror or dismay. The word was well established in English by the sixteenth century. Its cognates include 'pale' and 'pallid', which share the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How appal is actually used
In American English the standard spelling is 'appall'; British English uses both 'appal' and 'appall'. The verb carries a strongly negative connotation and is usually used in passive constructions ('was appalled'). It tends to describe reactions to serious moral failings rather than minor annoyances.
Easily confused with appal
'Appeal' means to make an earnest request or to be attractive, whereas 'appal' means to fill with horror or dismay.