dismaying

dis·may  (ds-m)

tr.v. dis·mayed, dis·may·ing, dis·mays

1. To destroy the courage or resolution of by exciting dread or apprehension.

2. To cause to lose enthusiasm; disillusion: was dismayed to learn that her favorite dancer used drugs.

3. To upset or alarm.

n.

A sudden or complete loss of courage in the face of trouble or danger.

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[Middle English dismaien, from Anglo-Norman *desmaiier : probably de-, intensive pref.; see de- + Old French esmaier, to frighten (from Vulgar Latin *exmagre, to deprive of power : Latin ex-, ex- + Germanic *magan, to be able to; see magh- in Indo-European roots).]

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dis·maying·ly adv.

Synonyms: dismay, appall, daunt, horrify, shake
These verbs mean to deprive a person of courage or the power to act as a result of fear or anxiety. Dismay is the least specific: Plummeting stock prices dismayed speculators.
Appall implies a sense of helplessness caused by an awareness of the enormity of something: "for as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land" (Herman Melville).
Daunt suggests an abatement of courage: "captains courageous, whom death could not daunt" (Anonymous ballad).
Horrify implies dread, shock, or revulsion: The citizens were horrified by the possibility of nuclear war.
To shake is to dismay profoundly: "A little swift brutality shook him to the very soul" (John Galsworthy). See Also Synonyms at fear.

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

dismaying - causing consternation; "appalling conditions" appalling alarming - frightening because of an awareness of danger