horrified

horrified — adjective

1. feeling a sudden strong sense of shock, fear, or disgust caused by something ext

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

feeling a sudden strong sense of shock, fear, or disgust caused by something extremely unpleasant or upsetting that you see, hear, or experience

Example

Sirin was horrified when she saw the damage to her grandmother's old photo album.

horrified when + clause describing triggering event

The medical team were horrified to discover that the equipment had never been cleaned.

horrified to discover + that-clause

Common collocations
  • absolutely horrified
  • completely horrified
  • utterly horrified
  • horrified at
  • horrified by
  • horrified to see/hear/find/learn
  • horrified that
  • horrified expression
  • horrified face
Synonyms
  • appalled

    very similar in meaning but more often describes a moral shock at wrong or unfair actions

  • shocked

    broader meaning; can describe surprise without fear or disgust

  • aghast

    more literary and less common in everyday speech; conveys open-mouthed shock

  • dismayed

    suggests distress and discouragement rather than fear

Antonyms
  • unfazed

    not disturbed at all by something shocking

  • unperturbed

    calm and not worried, even in a difficult situation

  • relieved

    opposite emotional direction — feeling eased rather than shocked

Grammar Patterns

be + horrified + at/by + [noun/noun phrase]

be + horrified + to + [infinitive]

be + horrified + that + [clause]

look/seem/appear + horrified

Usage Note

Commonly paired with intensifiers such as absolutely, completely, or utterly. The choice of preposition shifts meaning slightly: horrified at often emphasises the emotional reaction, while horrified by focuses on the cause.

Common Mistakes

I was horrified of the loud noise.
I was horrified by the loud noise.
after horrified use at, by, or to, not of.
I felt very horrified by the news.
I was absolutely horrified by the news.
very is less natural with horrified; use absolutely or completely instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a strong negative reaction, but they differ in nuance. Horrified combines shock with fear or disgust, making it the strongest of the group — you might be horrified by a gruesome accident. Appalled focuses on moral outrage: you would be appalled by a company's dishonest behaviour. Shocked is the most general and can be neutral or negative — winning the lottery could leave you shocked, but not horrified. Aghast is a more literary word suggesting a frozen, open-mouthed reaction of disbelief. Dismayed is softer, closer to distressed disappointment: a student might be dismayed by a poor exam result but not horrified.

appalledshocked ↗aghastdismayed

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • horrified to discover
  • horrified to learn
  • horrified to find
  • horrified by the thought
  • horrified at the sight

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Horrified comes from the Latin verb horrēre, meaning 'to bristle, tremble, or shudder' — originally referring to the way hair stands on end when a person is very frightened. The word entered English through Old French horror and evolved into horrified in the 17th century.