Aghast Definition

ə-găst
adjective
Struck by shock, terror, or amazement.
American Heritage
Feeling great horror or dismay; terrified; horrified.
Webster's New World

Terrified; struck with amazement; showing signs of terror or horror.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Antonyms:

Origin of Aghast

  • From Middle English agast, agasted, past participle of agasten (“to terrify”), from Old English prefix a- (compare with Gothic - (us-), German er-, originally meaning "out") + gæstan (“to terrify, torment”): compare Gothic (usgaisjan, “to terrify”, literally “to fix, to root to the spot with terror”); akin to Latin haerere (“to stick fast, cling”). See gaze, hesitate.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English agast past participle of agasten to frighten a- intensive pref. (from Old English ā-) gasten to frighten (from Old English gǣstan) (from gāst ghost)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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