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aghast

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An adjective meaning overwhelmed with shock, horror, or astonishment, often describing a person struck speechless by a dreadful or unexpected sight.

Detailed Definition
Aghast is an intense word for being horrified or stunned. In this war setting, it captures the speaker’s reaction to the violence and destruction around him.
Example
Example in poetry:
“What quaver—what heart aghast?” means struck with horror or shock; “Aghast, they watched the river swallow the bridge” shows immediate alarm; “The speaker stands aghast before war’s aftermath” suits grave witness poetry; “She was not aghast but attentive” contrasts panic with deliberate observation
Additional Notes
“Aghast” in “what heart aghast?” is an older, literary adjective that some modern readers may pause over.; Found in the poem, Break of Day in the Trenches by Isaac Rosenberg
Also Known As
astonished shocked horrified stunned
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