dumbfound

verb

dumb·​found ˌdəm-ˈfau̇nd 

ˈdəm-ˌfaund

variants or less commonly dumfound

dumbfounded also dumfounded; dumbfounding also dumfounding; dumbfounds also dumfounds

transitive verb

: to confound (see confound sense 1) briefly and usually with astonishment

were dumbfounded at what they saw

dumbfoundingly

ˌdəm-ˈfau̇n-diŋ-lē 

ˈdəm-ˌfau̇n-

adverb

Synonyms

• surprise
• shock
• amaze
• astonish
• astound
• flabbergast
• stupefy

Choose the Right Synonym for dumbfound

puzzle, perplex, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally.

puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.

the persistent fever puzzled the doctor

perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.

a behavior that perplexed her friends

bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.

a bewildering number of possibilities

distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.

distracted by personal problems

nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.

the remark left us utterly nonplussed

confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.

the tragic news confounded us all

dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.

was at first too dumbfounded to reply

Examples of dumbfound in a Sentence

the surprise ending will dumbfound even the most seasoned mystery reader

Recent Examples on the Web

Neighbors were disgusted and dumbfounded about the senseless slaughter of an animal that had never caused any trouble. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 28 Jan. 2025

And while stumbling through the silly categories, the contestants are dumbfounded far too often during the episodes made available for review. —Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024

The revelation dumbfounded Clark. —Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024

Siri’s Guide for Newbie Farmers To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This implausible performance dumbfounded many Americans, like Carol Foyler, who resides in Akron, Ohio. —Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, 27 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

dumb + -found (as in confound)

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dumbfound

verb

dumb·​found

variants also dumfound

ˌdəm-ˈfau̇nd 

: to cause to become speechless with astonishment : amaze

dumbfoundingly

-ˈfau̇n-diŋ-lē 

adverb