appalling
gb/əpˈɔlɪŋ/ us/əpˈɔlɪŋ/
B2
English
~ 8100
felháborító, borzalmas, megdöbbentő, pocsék, rettenetes
B2
1
Usage pattern:
an appalling [noun]
The refugees were living in appalling conditions, without clean water or proper shelter.
A menekültek borzalmas körülmények között éltek, tiszta víz és megfelelő menedék nélkül.
The report uncovered appalling cases of neglect in the care home.
A jelentés felháborító elhanyagolási eseteket tárt fel az idősotthonban.
It is appalling that so many people still do not have access to basic healthcare.
The animals were kept in appalling cruelty, locked in tiny cages for years.
Her appalling behaviour at the meeting shocked everyone in the room.
Learner examples
The prisoners were kept in appalling conditions.
A foglyokat borzalmas körülmények között tartották.
The teacher said the bullying was appalling and had to stop.
A tanár azt mondta, hogy az iskolai bántalmazás felháborító, és véget kell vetni neki.
It is appalling that some children go to bed hungry.
They wrote a letter to complain about the appalling treatment of workers.
We were shocked by the appalling stories in the news.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix up "appalling" and "appealing" because they look similar. "Appalling" means extremely bad and shocking, while "appealing" means attractive or interesting. Learners may also use "appalling" for things that are only a little bad; in natural English, it is very strong and suggests serious shock or moral anger.
Meaning
shockingly bad or immoral
Collocations
appalling conditions
|appalling behaviour
|appalling cruelty
|appalling abuse
|an appalling lack of [something]
|appalling human rights record
Synonyms
outrageous (Emphasizes that something is very shocking and makes people feel angry or offended.)
|
disgraceful (Stresses that something is morally wrong and brings shame.)
|
shocking (General word for causing strong surprise and anger; slightly weaker and broader than 'appalling'.)
Antonyms
admirable (Describes something that people respect and approve of, the opposite of morally shocking or very bad.)
|
acceptable (Means something is good enough and not morally or socially offensive.)
Themes
emotions
|evaluation
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very, very bad in a way that shocks people and makes them feel angry or upset, especially about what is right or fair.
Extremely bad in a way that causes shock, anger, or moral disgust.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[something] is appalling
The customer service at that hotel was absolutely appalling.
Abban a szállodában az ügyfélszolgálat egyszerűen borzalmas volt.
He made an appalling attempt at singing and forgot half the lyrics.
Borzalmasan próbált énekelni, és a dalszöveg felét elfelejtette.
We had appalling weather for the entire holiday.
The food was appalling, and most of it was cold when it arrived.
Her spelling is appalling; every second word is wrong.
Learner examples
The wifi in this café is appalling.
Ebben a kávézóban pocsék a wifi.
The movie was appalling, and we left early.
A film borzalmas volt, ezért korán eljöttünk.
The traffic was appalling, so I was very late.
The team played an appalling game and lost 5–0.
The smell from the bin was appalling.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse "appalling" for small problems, where native speakers would say "bad" or "not very good". "Appalling" is very strong and suggests something is much worse than normal. They also sometimes confuse it with "annoying"; "appalling" is about very bad quality, not just something that bothers you a little.
Meaning
extremely bad or unpleasant
Collocations
appalling service
|appalling weather
|appalling performance
|appalling food
|appalling driving
|an appalling smell
Synonyms
terrible (Very common and slightly less strong; can describe anything very bad or unpleasant.)
|
dreadful (Similar strength, often used for experiences that feel very unpleasant or low quality.)
|
awful (Informal and very common; often used in the same situations but slightly less intense.)
Antonyms
excellent (Highlights that the quality is very good, the direct opposite of extremely bad quality.)
|
fine (Means acceptable or good enough, contrasting with strongly negative 'appalling'.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|evaluation
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
Very, very bad or very unpleasant, for example about service, weather, or performance.
Extremely bad in quality or very unpleasant to experience, though not necessarily morally offensive.
Grammar
Dictionary form
appalling
IPA
GB/əpˈɔlɪŋ/
US/əpˈɔlɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
ap - palling (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (palling)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: appalling
Word family
Core family
Related words
appal
verb C1
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.