Aghast

Pronunciation: /əˈɡæst/

Definitions of aghast

adjective filled with horror or shock

Example Sentences

A1 She was aghast when she saw the mess in the kitchen.

A2 The students were aghast at the news of the pop quiz.

B1 The team was aghast at the referee's decision to disqualify their goal.

B2 The CEO was aghast at the financial losses incurred by the company.

C1 The politician was aghast at the corruption scandal that rocked the government.

C2 The scientist was aghast at the implications of the new research findings.

Examples of aghast in a Sentence

formal The audience was aghast at the politician's scandalous behavior.

informal I was aghast when I saw the price of the new iPhone.

slang My friends were totally aghast when they found out I had never tried sushi before.

figurative Her heart was aghast at the thought of losing her best friend.

Grammatical Forms of aghast

• past tense: aghasted
• plural: aghasts
• comparative: more aghast
• superlative: most aghast
• present tense: aghast
• future tense: will be aghast
• perfect tense: have been aghast
• continuous tense: is being aghast
• singular: aghast
• positive degree: aghast
• infinitive: to be aghast
• gerund: aghasting
• participle: aghasting

Origin and Evolution of aghast

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'aghast' originated from Middle English 'agast', which came from Old English 'a-,' meaning 'completely' or 'intensely,' and 'gæstan,' meaning 'to terrify.'

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'aghast' has retained its original meaning of being struck with horror or shock, but it is now less commonly used in everyday language compared to its earlier usage.