impact -
The force or action of one object hitting another.
The impact of the car crash was so strong that it damaged both vehicles.
adjective
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appalled -
Filled with dismay or disgust, especially at something morally wrong.
We were appalled at the cost of the car repairs—it was far too high!
adjective
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dumbstruck -
So shocked or surprised as to be unable to speak.
When Bill heard on the phone that the storm had destroyed his summer house, he was dumbstruck, and didn't know how to respond.
verb
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startle -
To cause a person or animal to feel sudden shock or alarm
The speeding car startled Victor, and he had just enough time to jump out of the way.
adjective
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aghast -
Struck with shock, amazement, or horror
When the Stevens family returned home from their two week vacation, they were aghast to find that loads of stray cats were living in their house.
adjective
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dumbfounded -
So shocked that you cannot speak
The US public was dumbfounded when the stock market crashed on October 29, 1929.
noun
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longshot -
A venture or guess that has only the slightest chance of succeeding or being accurate.
Many people buy tickets for the lottery even though they know that winning is a longshot.
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anticlimax -
A situation where the outcome is much less dramatic than expected.
The final scene was such an anticlimax after all the suspense, that the audience was very disappointed.
noun
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discrepancy -
A difference between two things that are expected to be the same.
Her story had a major discrepancy that made the police suspicious.
adjective
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telltale -
Revealing or indicating something hidden or secret, showing the inner nature of something.
The telltale clouds of smoke hinted at a fire nearby.
adjective
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untimely -
Not happening at a useful or expected time.
The serious and untimely injury of the tennis star forced him to quit sports.
adjective
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unthinkable -
So out of the ordinary that it cannot be imagined as possible
When Genghis Khan was born in 1162, it was unthinkable that someone from his nomadic tribe could conquer most of the known world - but that is what he did.
