Appal
/əˈpɔːl/noun
To greatly dismay, shock, or horrify.
Did you know?Appal comes from an old sense of becoming pale or losing color, and that physical fading was once linked to terror so intense it seemed to drain the body.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
apalian
“to grow pale; become weak or faint”
Middle English
ME
appallen
“to grow pale; to weaken, daunt, or frighten”
Middle French
French
apalir
“to grow pale”
Latin
Latin
pallere
“to be pale”
Modern English
English
appal
“to shock or horrify deeply”