With rage no longer driving her, it was an appalling thought.

He put the failure out of mind, or at least tried to, but the appalling thought kept returning.

It was an appalling thought for a man who could live for ever.

She shoved the appalling thought to the back of her mind.

He was considering this appalling thought, distracted and angry, when the Mercedes got away from him.

He scarcely heard her, struck by the appalling thought he'd had earlier.

Rescue was his motive, but over him had come the appalling thought that he might be too late to save Yvonne.

The appalling thought had suddenly struck her that Teddy's terrible end might be due to his having been offered up as a human sacrifice.

The thought, though appalling, had to be contemplated: survival was at issue here.

For the moment it did not seem a particularly appalling thought, simply a natural question arising out of the situation.