adj
C2
Proficient
aghast
Aghast (adj) means Filled with shock and horror, as if suddenly frightened.
adj
1
Filled with shock and horror, as if suddenly frightened.
"Hart, for one, will not remember the night for Lambert's heroics. Morrison, not closed down quickly enough, struck his shot well but England's No1 will be aghast at the way it struck his gloves then skidded off his knees and into the net."
— Daniel Taylor, The Guardian (2013)
"I was aghast when the incident unfolded in front of me."
"For months, Democrats have watched aghast as President Donald Trump has unleashed his head-spinning, all-of-government brand of disruption."
— Simon Montlake, Is the anti-Trump ‘resistance’ starting to find its voice again? (2025)
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Etymology
From Middle English agast, agasted, past participle of agasten (“to terrify”), from Old English a- (compare with Gothic 𐌿𐍃- (us-), German er-, originally meaning "out") + gæstan (“to terrify, torment”): compare Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (usgaisjan, “to terrify”, literally “to fix, to root to the spot with terror”); akin to Latin haerere (“to stick fast, cling”). By surface analysis, a- + ghast/gast. See gaze.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of aghast?
"aghast" (adj) means filled with shock and horror, as if suddenly frightened.
What is another word for aghast?
Other words for "aghast" include appalled, shocked, dismayed.
What is the opposite of aghast?
Opposites of "aghast" include fearless, unmoved.
