Aghast — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ə-ˈgast/

Meaning & Definition of Aghast

Aghast (adjective)

  1. struck with terror, amazement, or horror, shocked and upset

Aghast (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. filled with fear or dread

    "I stood there, aghast, as the vile monster made its way toward me"

    similar: affrighted, afraid, alarmed, fearful, frightened, horrified, horror-struck, hysterical, scared, scary, shocked, spooked, terrified, terrorized
    related: chicken, fainthearted, fearsome, shrinking, shy, timid, timorous, tremulant, tremulous, agitated, anxious, apprehensive, disconcerted, disquieted, disturbed, funky, jittery, jumpy, nervous, panicked, panicky, panic-stricken, perturbed, skittish, uneasy, upset, worried, phobic, appalled, dismayed, startled, cowed, daunted, intimidated, unnerved, coward, cowardly, craven, gutless, lily-livered, pusillanimous, careful, cautious, heedful, prudent, unadventurous, wary
    opposite: fearless, unafraid
    near: adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, bold, daredevil, daring, dashing, gutsy, plucky, spirited, spunky, venturesome, venturous, brave, courageous, gallant, hardy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous, assured, collected, composed, confident, cool, sanguine, sure, unperturbed, dauntless, resolute, undaunted

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Aghast

The most common words with a similar meaning to Aghast:

affrighted, afraid, alarmed, fearful, frightened, horrified, horror-struck, hysterical, scared, scary, shocked, spooked, terrified, terrorized

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Aghast

Words with the opposite meaning of Aghast:

fearless, unafraid

Related Words for Aghast

chicken, fainthearted, fearsome, shrinking, shy, timid, timorous, tremulant, tremulous, agitated, anxious, apprehensive, disconcerted, disquieted, disturbed, funky, jittery, jumpy, nervous, panicked, panicky, panic-stricken, perturbed, skittish, uneasy, upset, worried, phobic, appalled, dismayed

Near Antonyms of Aghast

adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, bold, daredevil, daring, dashing, gutsy, plucky, spirited, spunky, venturesome, venturous, brave, courageous, gallant, hardy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous, assured, collected, composed, confident

Origin & Etymology of Aghast

alteration (with h after ghastly, ghost:1) of Middle English agast, from past participle of agasten "to frighten, become frightened," from a-, perfective prefix + gasten "to frighten," perhaps going back to Old English gǣstan "to afflict, torment," perhaps originally "to frighten, fill with terror," going back to Germanic *gaistjan-, derivative of *gaista- "spirit, ghost"abide, ghost:1

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Aghast

Frequently Asked Questions about Aghast

What does "Aghast" mean?

"Aghast" means struck with terror, amazement, or horror, shocked and upset. As an adjective, it is defined as: struck with terror, amazement, or horror, shocked and upset.

What is another word for "Aghast"?

Other words for "Aghast" include affrighted, afraid, alarmed, fearful, frightened, horrified, horror-struck and hysterical. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Aghast" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Aghast"?

There are 61 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Aghast". Common alternatives include affrighted, afraid, alarmed, fearful, frightened, horrified, horror-struck, hysterical, scared and scary.

What is the opposite of "Aghast"?

Antonyms of "Aghast" include fearless and unafraid. Near antonyms include adventuresome, adventurous, audacious and bold.

How do you use "Aghast" in a sentence?

Examples of "Aghast" in a sentence: "I stood there, aghast, as the vile monster made its way toward me".

Is "Aghast" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Aghast" is an adjective.

Is "Aghast" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Aghast" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Aghast"?

"Aghast" is pronounced /ə-ˈgast/.