dumbstruck

adjective dumb·struck \ ˈdəm-ˌstrək \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of dumbstruck

: made silent by astonishment

See dumbstruck defined for English-language learners

Examples of dumbstruck in a Sentence

The people in the courtroom were dumbstruck by his confession.
the dumbstruck ecotourists gaped in silence as the enormous whale breached near their vessel

Recent Examples of dumbstruck from the Web

Watching him graduate in a ceremony at Camp Lejeune, his family members were dumbstruck.

— aaron gell, Longreads, "Did Brian Easley Have to Die?," 9 Apr. 2018
Paul is clearly dumbstruck by how quickly he's found himself in bed with her.

— darla murray, Cosmopolitan, "10 Guys Reveal the Movie Sex Scene That Turns Them on Most," 16 June 2017
My children, wide-eyed and dumbstruck at the thought of Mommy with a gun to her head, nodded earnestly.

— ronda kaysen, New York Times, "Do Security Systems Make Your Home Safer?," 22 Dec. 2017
The other hitters taking swings that day, a combination of pros and amateurs, were dumbstruck.

— jorge l. ortiz, USA TODAY, "Dodgers hero Justin Turner turned into a star after he decided to swing for them," 25 Oct. 2017
Conduct that would have had conservatives up in arms had it been exhibited by our political opponents now had us dumbstruck.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "Meet the hypocrite who rips Trump but votes with him 95.5% of the time," 1 Aug. 2017
A dumbstruck Lee Sizemore (Simon Quarterman) and Maeve (Thandie Newton) viewing the carnage of her rebellion?

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Westworld Season 2 Teaser Promises New Worlds and Vengeful Robots," 22 July 2017
Paul is clearly dumbstruck by how quickly he's found himself in bed with her.

— darla murray, Cosmopolitan, "10 Guys Reveal the Movie Sex Scene That Turns Them on Most," 21 June 2016
Indeed, Rachel’s subsequent criticisms of Cohen’s lyrics — and Vadik’s dumbstruck response — perfectly foreshadow both the romantic evening to come at Rachel’s apartment and Vadik’s sneaking out early the next morning.

— charles bock, New York Times, "In ‘Still Here,’ Four Russian Friends Confront Middle Age in New York City," 9 Aug. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dumbstruck.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.