aghast

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: a=ghast

CIDE DICTIONARY

aghast, v. t. 

 To affright; to terrify.  Chaucer. Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

aghast, v. t. 

 See Agast, v. t.  [1913 Webster]

aghast, a. & p. p. [OE. agast, agasted, p. p. of agasten to terrify, fr. AS. pref. ā- (cf. Goth. us-, G. er-, orig. meaning out) + gstan to terrify, torment: cf. Goth. usgaisjan to terrify, primitively to fix, to root to the spot with terror; akin to L. haerere to stick fast, cling. See Gaze, Hesitate.].

 Terrified; struck with amazement; showing signs of terror or horror.  [1913 Webster]
"Aghast he waked; and, starting from his bed,
Cold sweat in clammy drops his limbs o'erspread."  [1913 Webster]
"The commissioners read and stood aghast."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

aghast, adj. (usu. predic.; often foll. by at) filled with dismay or consternation.

Etymology

ME, past part. of obs. agast, gast frighten: see GHASTLY

THESAURUS

aghast

afraid, agape, agog, all agog, amazed, anxious, appalled, ashen, astonished, astounded, at gaze, awed, awestricken, awestruck, beguiled, bewildered, bewitched, blanched, breathless, captivated, confounded, cowed, deadly pale, dismayed, dumbfounded, dumbstruck, enchanted, enraptured, enravished, enthralled, entranced, fascinated, fearful, flabbergasted, frightened, frozen, gaping, gauping, gazing, gray with fear, horrified, horror-struck, hypnotized, in awe, in awe of, intimidated, lost in wonder, marveling, mesmerized, open-eyed, openmouthed, overwhelmed, pale as death, pallid, paralyzed, petrified, popeyed, puzzled, rapt in wonder, scared, scared stiff, scared to death, scary, shocked, spellbound, staggered, staring, startled, stunned, stupefied, surprised, taken aback, terrified, terror-crazed, terror-haunted, terror-ridden, terror-riven, terror-shaken, terror-smitten, terror-struck, terror-troubled, thunderstruck, under a charm, undone, unmanned, unnerved, unstrung, wide-eyed, wonder-struck, wondering

ROGET THESAURUS

aghast

Fear

N fear, timidity, diffidence, want of confidence, apprehensiveness, fearfulness, solicitude, anxiety, care, apprehension, misgiving, feeze, mistrust, suspicion, qualm, hesitation, nervousness, restlessness, inquietude, disquietude, worry, concern, batophobia, heartquake, flutter, trepidation, fear and trembling, perturbation, tremor, quivering, shaking, trembling, throbbing heart, palpitation, ague fit, cold sweat, abject fear, mortal funk, heartsinking, despondency, despair, fright, affright, affrightment, boof alarm, dread, awe, terror, horror, dismay, consternation, panic, scare, stampede (of horses), intimidation, terrorism, reign of terror, bug bear, bugaboo, scarecrow, hobgoblin, nightmare, Gorgon, mormo, ogre, Hurlothrumbo, raw head and bloody bones, fee-faw-fum, bete noire, enfant terrible, alarmist, fearing, frightened, in fear, in a fright, haunted with the fear of, afeard, afraid, fearful, timid, timorous, nervous, diffident, coy, faint- hearted, tremulous, shaky, afraid of one's shadow, apprehensive, restless, fidgety, more frightened than hurt, aghast, awe-stricken, horror-stricken, terror-stricken, panic- stricken, awestruck, awe-stricken, horror-struck, frightened to death, white as a sheet, pale, pale as a ghost, pale as death, pale as ashes, breathless, in hysterics, inspiring fear, alarming, formidable, redoubtable, perilous, portentous, fearful, dread, dreadful, fell, dire, direful, shocking, terrible, terrific, tremendous, horrid, horrible, horrific, ghastly, awful, awe-inspiring, revolting, Gorgonian, in terrorem, Int, angels and ministers of grace defend us!, ante tubam trepidat, horresco referens, one's heart failing one, obstupui steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit, a dagger of the mind, expertus metuit, fain would I climb but that I fear to fall, fear is the parent of cruelty, Gorgons and hydras and chimeras dire, omnia tuta timens, our fears do make us traitors.

Wonder

N wonder, marvel, astonishment, amazement, wonderment, bewilderment, amazedness, admiration, awe, stupor, stupefaction, stound, fascination, sensation, surprise, note of admiration, thaumaturgy, surprised, aghast, all agog, breathless, agape, open- mouthed, awestruck, thunderstruck, moonstruck, planet-struck, spellbound, lost in amazement, lost in wonder, lost in astonishment, struck all of a heap, unable to believe one's senses, like a duck ion thunder, wonderful, wondrous, surprising, unexpected, unheard of, mysterious, miraculous, indescribable, inexpressible, inaffable, unutterable, unspeakable, monstrous, prodigious, stupendous, marvelous, inconceivable, incredible, inimaginable, unimaginable, strange, passing strange, striking, overwhelming, wonder-working, wonderfully fearfully, for a wonder, in the name of wonder, strange to say, mirabile dictu, mirabile visu, to one's great surprise, with wonder, with gaping mouth, with open eyes, with upturned eyes, Int, lo, lo and behold!, O!, heyday!, halloo!, what!, indeed!, really!, surely!, humph!, hem!, good lack, good heavens, good gracious!, Ye gods!, good Lord!, good grief!, Holy cow!, My word!, Holy shit!, gad so!, welladay!, dear me!, only think!, lackadaisy!, my stars, my goodness!, gracious goodness!, goodness gracious!, mercy on us!, heavens and earth!, God bless me!, bless us, bless my heart!, odzookens!, O gemini!, adzooks!, hoity-toity!, strong!, Heaven save the mark, bless the mark!, can such things be!, zounds!, 'sdeath!, what on earth, what in the world!, who would have thought it!, you don't say so!, You're kidding!, No kidding? what do you say to that!, nous verrons!, how now!, where am I?, vox faucibus haesit, one's hair standing on end.

Disappointment

N disappointment, blighted hope, balk, blow, anticlimax, slip 'twixt cup and lip, nonfulfillment of one's hopes, sad disappointment, bitter disappointment, trick of fortune, afterclap, false expectation, vain expectation, miscalculation, fool's paradise, much cry and little wool, disappointed, disconcerted, aghast, disgruntled, out of one's reckoning, the mountain labored and brought forth a mouse, parturiunt montes, nascitur ridiculus mus, diis aliter visum, the bubble burst, one's countenance falling.