The term “appalling” is often employed to evoke a visceral reaction, conveying intense shock, horror, or moral repugnance in literature. It frequently underscores the gravity of events or the repulsiveness of a character’s appearance or actions—ranging from the revelation of a terrible event, as seen when a character is struck by the “appalling aspect” of tragedy ([1]), to descriptions of grotesque physical features that leave no room for comfort ([2], [3]). The word is also used to accentuate the emotional impact of situations, whether in the confrontation of moral outrage ([4]) or the expression of personal despair ([5]). In some instances, it even helps sharpen narrative conflicts by intensifying characters’ reactions or by portraying an environment in stark, forbidding terms ([6], [7]). Thus, “appalling” serves as a powerful adjective that enriches the literary texture by capturing and deepening the reader’s engagement with the darker or more unsettling facets of the narrative.