aghasta‧ghast /əˈɡɑːst $ əˈɡæst/ adjective [not before noun] written 
Word Origin
Everyone was aghast at the verdict. Hank looked at her aghast.► see thesaurus at shocked
Word OriginWORD ORIGINaghast
ExamplesOrigin:
1200-1300 From the past participle of aghast ‘to frighten’ (13-16 centuries), from gast ‘to frighten’ (11-17 centuries), from Old English gæstanEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- ""Ten thousand pounds!'' she said, aghast.
- Mr Sullivan seemed aghast at the prospect of losing his only daughter to this arrogant young man.
- Some of the Republican policies have left feminists dismayed and aghast.
- Little wonder that, as one newspaper put it, Ministers were aghast at the verdict.
- Roirbak was aghast when he saw what had happened to Mellissa.
- She followed the child into the room, but there she stood aghast.
- She stared, aghast, at the fine-honed beauty of that chest.
- There was to be no stunned silence, no aghast staring and, it seemed, no dramatic response from Greg.
- They stood around her in the stuffy room, aghast.
- Threats, violence, kidnapping; enough to leave Prunella aghast and anxious.
- Tom was aghast when he saw the bagpipes.
THESAURUS► shocked
feeling or looking shocked by something you have seen or just found outaghast at feeling surprised and upset by something very unexpected and unpleasant: · I was shocked when I heard what had happened.· We are all deeply shocked by his death.· They seemed shocked at the suggestion.
► shaken shocked because something very unpleasant or frightening has happened – used when the experience has made you feel weak or nervous: · He was badly shaken by the incident.· She looked shaken by the news.
► be in a state of shock to feel shocked and unable to do normal things: · He was uninjured but in a state of shock after the attack.
► horrified very shocked because something unpleasant or frightening has happened: · She was horrified to discover that her son had been taking drugs.· There was a horrified look on his face.
► appalled very shocked because you think something is very bad: · I was appalled by his behaviour.· Emma was appalled at how he’d treated his mother.
► traumatized so badly shocked that you are affected for a very long time: · The children were severely traumatized by years of civil war.
► outraged extremely shocked and angry: · The victim’s family were outraged at the short jail sentence.
► devastated extremely shocked and sad – used when someone is extremely badly affected by something: · Petra was absolutely devastated by the death of her daughter.
► stunned so shocked that you are unable to do or say anything immediately: · He had been stunned by the news of his friend’s sudden death.
► dazed very shocked and unable to think clearly: · He emerged from the wreck of the car, dazed but unhurt.
► aghast [not before noun] written shocked: · She looked aghast at the suggestion.
Longman Language Activatorsurprised and upset because something bad has happened► shocked · I was shocked when I saw the size of the telephone bill.· Everyone seemed really shocked when I told them I'd started smoking.shocked (that) · I'm shocked that you've let things get this far.shocked at · I was shocked at the change in his appearance.· Gabby was shocked by how unpleasant they were to their mother.be shocked to hear/learn/find something etc · We were shocked to hear about Brian's heart attack - he's so young.· When I returned, I was shocked to discover that Rod had lost his job.deeply shocked (=very shocked) · We were deeply shocked to hear of the baby's death.
► horrified extremely shocked by something very unpleasant or frightening that has happened: · Horrified passengers saw the man fall under the train.· There was a horrified look on his face.horrified by: · The Prime Minister issued a statement saying he was "shocked and horrified" by the massacre.
► appalled very shocked by something that is very bad or unpleasant: appalled by: · I knew everyone in the room was appalled by my behaviour, but I didn't care.· Appalled at the state of the kitchen, she set about scrubbing away the layers of grime and grease.appalled that: · We're absolutely appalled that the newspapers can freely make allegations about this company.appalled to hear/see/find out etc: · I was appalled to learn that a serial killer was running a drugs operation in a high-security prison.
► devastated/shattered so shocked and upset by something terrible that has happened that you cannot continue with your life: · Without warning, my husband moved out, leaving me so shattered I couldn't continue.devastated/shattered by: · I went back to my motel, devastated by the news of her death.
► traumatized also traumatised British if someone is traumatized by a bad event or experience, it badly affects the way they behave or react to things for a long time afterwards: · The attack on her in August 1990 had left her traumatized and unable to leave the house.· a frightened, traumatized childtraumatized by: · Some students were traumatized by the anatomy classes, while others were unaffected.
► be in a state of shock to feel very shocked by something, so that you cannot do things properly or talk about things clearly for a long time afterwards: · Two days after the earthquake, many people were still in a state of shock.· He arrived at my house in a state of shock, unable to tell me clearly what had happened.
► shaken/shaken up shocked and feeling weak and nervous, because something very unpleasant or frightening has happened: · He was pulled from the wreckage of the car, alive but very shaken.· The fire in the hotel was not very serious but everyone was shaken up by it.shaken/shaken up by: · She was visibly shaken by the severity of her sentence, and left the court in tears.badly shaken: · She was badly shaken by the attack and found it difficult to describe her ordeal to the police.
► aghast written very shocked by something that you have just been told or have found out about: · "Ten thousand pounds!'' she said, aghast.· Some of the Republican policies have left feminists dismayed and aghast.aghast at: · Mr Sullivan seemed aghast at the prospect of losing his only daughter to this arrogant young man.
Everyone was aghast at the verdict. Hank looked at her aghast.► see thesaurus at shocked