Aghast (adjective)
Pronunciation: [ê-'gæst]
Definition: Shocked by horror, fright; more recently, just deeply shocked.
Usage: "Aghast" belongs to one of the least investigated classes of adjectives, one which I call “anomalous adjectives" because its members cannot be used before nouns but only in predicate position, and have no noun or adverb form. That is, you may say, "The masseuse was aghast at the mouse" but you can NOT speak of "the aghast masseuse" or "the aghastness of the masseuse." Others in this class include "awake," "adrift," and "abloom."
Suggested Usage: Shakespeare could still use the verb, "gast," when he wrote 'King Lear' (1605), for in act II, scene 1 we find, "Or whether gasted by the noyse [noise] I made, Full sodainely [suddenly] he fled." Remember that the base meaning of today's word refers to fright, "Everyone in the neighborhood was aghast with terror at the gang of dogs that plied the streets at night." However, "deeply shocked" may have already displaced that sense, "I was aghast to see Madge pour red wine in the white wine glasses!"
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