different between dismay vs appall

English

Etymology

From Middle English dismayen, from Anglo-Norman *desmaiier, alteration of Old French esmaier (“to frighten”), probably from Vulgar Latin *exmagare (“to deprive (someone) of strength, to disable”), from ex- + *magare (“to enable, empower”), from Proto-Germanic *magin?, *magan? (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *meg?- (“to be able”). Akin to Old High German magan, megin (“power, might, main”), Old English mæ?en (“might, main”), Old High German magan, mugan (“to be powerful, able”), Old English magan (“to be able”). Cognate with Portuguese desmaiar (“to faint”). See also Portuguese esmagar, Spanish amagar. More at main, may.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?s?me?/
• Rhymes: -e?

Verb

dismay (third-person singular simple present dismays, present participle dismaying, simple past and past participle dismayed)

1. To cause to feel apprehension; great sadness, or fear; to deprive of energy

   Synonyms: daunt, appall, terrify

   • 1611, King James Version, Josh. i. 9

     Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.

   • What words be these? What fears do you dismay?

2. To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet.
3. To take dismay or fright; to be filled with dismay.
   • 1592, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 1, III. iii. 1:

     Dismay not, princes, at this accident,

Translations

Noun

dismay (uncountable)

1. A sudden or complete loss of courage and firmness in the face of trouble or danger; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits

   Synonym: consternation

   • 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act I Scene 3

     Come on: in this there can be no dismay;

     My ships come home a month before the day.

2. Condition fitted to dismay; ruin.

Translations

Anagrams

• yidams

English

Alternative forms

• appal (occasionally in Commonwealth English)

Etymology

From Middle English apallen, from Old French apalir (“to grow pale, make pale”); a (Latin ad) + palir (“to grow pale, to make pale”), pâle (“pale”). See pale (adj.) and compare with pall.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ?-pôl?, IPA^(key): /??p??l/

Verb

appall (third-person singular simple present appalls, present participle appalling, simple past and past participle appalled)

1. (transitive) To fill with horror; to dismay.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To make pale; to blanch.
   • 1557, Thomas Wyatt, To his love that hath given him answer of refusal

     The answer that ye made to me, my dear, […] / Hath so appalled my countenance.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To weaken; to reduce in strength

   • wine of it owne nature will not congeale and freeze, onely it will loose the strength, and become appalled in extremitie of cold.

4. (intransitive, obsolete) To grow faint; to become weak; to become dismayed or discouraged.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Gower to this entry?)

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To lose flavour or become stale.

Synonyms

• dismay, terrify, daunt, frighten, affright, scare, depress
• See also Thesaurus:frighten

Translations

Anagrams

• palpal