adjective [ADJECTIVE after verb, verb-link ADJECTIVE, ADJECTIVE noun]
If you are aghast, you are filled with horror and surprise.
[formal]
She watched aghast as his life flowed away.
His colleagues were aghast at the sackings.
Tania stared at him aghast, unable to speak.
[Also + at]
Synonyms: horrified, shocked, amazed, stunned More Synonyms of aghast
aghast in British English
(əˈɡɑːst)
adjective
(postpositive)
overcome with amazement or horror
Word origin
C13: agast, from Old English gæstan to frighten. The spelling with gh is on the model of ghastly
aghast in American English
(əˈgæst; əˈgɑst)
adjective
feeling great horror or dismay; terrified; horrified
Word origin
ME agast, pp. of agasten, to terrify < a-, intens. + gasten < OE gaestan, to terrify < gast, ghost
Examples of 'aghast' in a sentence
aghast
Despite this, she has no plans to stand down at the next election, looking aghast at the suggestion.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And yet they are aghast at the prospect of walking anywhere.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
And the rest of the country looks on aghast.
The Sun (2015)
They were aghast to see their dirt champion humbled so comprehensively on a surface alien to him.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
People were aghast when you criticised it then.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We stand aghast at the loss of innocence.
Christianity Today (2000)
But the audience watched aghast as he shook uncontrollably and fluffed a string of scripted lines before bursting into tears.
The Sun (2013)
The photographer looks aghast as well.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She stops and looks momentarily aghast.
The Sun (2013)
He looked aghast, literally casting his head around for excuses.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In what was a fairly liberal audience, some people were aghast.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I was aghast that people would resort to this.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
I watched aghast as he drank it down.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I was aghast at the idea.
Eddison, Sydney A Patchwork Garden: Unexpected Pleasures from a Country Garden (1990)
Some No 10 insiders are aghast at the prospect.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Husband on a Short Fuse looks aghast.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
My 18-year-old son stands aghast.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
No wonder my companion, a critically recognised but financially struggling choreographer, was aghast at the idea that so many people pay good money to watchbad dance.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
aghast
British English: aghast ADJECTIVE
If you are aghast, you are filled with horror and surprise.