aghast

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The Word of the Day for October 18 is:=20

aghast   \uh-GAST\   adjective
        : struck with terror, amazement, or horror : shocked

Example sentence:
          In an effort to impress his date, Adam ordered the most expens=
ive items on the menu, then was aghast when the bill arrived.

Did you know?
          If you are aghast, you might look like you=E2=80=99ve just see=
n a ghost, or something similarly shocking. =E2=80=9CAghast=E2=80=9D tra=
ces back to a Middle English verb, =E2=80=9Cgasten,=E2=80=9D meaning =E2=
=80=9Cto frighten.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CGasten=E2=80=9D (which also gave us=
 =E2=80=9Cghastly,=E2=80=9D meaning =E2=80=9Cterrible or frightening=E2=80=
=9D) comes from =E2=80=9Cgast,=E2=80=9D a Middle English spelling of the=
 word =E2=80=9Cghost.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CGast=E2=80=9D also came to be us=
ed in English as a verb meaning =E2=80=9Cto scare.=E2=80=9D That verb is=
 now obsolete, but its spirit lives on in words spoken by the character =
Edmund in Shakespeare=E2=80=99s _King Lear_: =E2=80=9Cgasted by the nois=
e I made, full suddenly he fled.=E2=80=9D





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