Aghast
/əˈɡæst/noun
Struck with terror, amazement, or horror.
Did you know?The word is historically tied to Old English words related to terror and being terrified, and its modern form was strongly reinforced by the verb form in Shakespeare’s era, giving it that eerie, frozen-in-fear feel.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gheis-
“to be excited, terrified, or to shudder”
Old English
OE
gǣstan
“to terrify, afflict, or frighten”
Middle English
ME
gast
“to terrify; also a ghost or spirit in some dialectal and related forms”
15th–16th Century
English
aghast
“terrified, struck with horror”
Modern English
English
aghast
“filled with shock, horror, or dismay”
Explore more surprising origins