flabbergast

verb

flab·​ber·​gast ˈfla-bər-ˌgast 

flabbergasted; flabbergasting; flabbergasts

transitive verb

: to overwhelm with shock, surprise, or wonder : dumbfound

We were flabbergasted by the news that he had won the lottery.

flabbergastingly

ˈfla-bər-ˌga-stiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• amaze
• astonish
• astound
• bowl over
• dumbfound
• dumfound
• floor
• rock
• shock
• startle
• stun
• stupefy
• surprise
• surprize
• thunderstrike

Choose the Right Synonym for flabbergast

surprise, astonish, astound, amaze, flabbergast mean to impress forcibly through unexpectedness.

surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

Examples of flabbergast in a Sentence

It flabbergasts me to see how many people still support them.

your decision to suddenly quit your job flabbergasts me

Recent Examples on the Web

He’s been flabbergasted by what’s happened since 2021. —Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025

But over the last month, since Los Angeles swung a midnight trade that flabbergasted the NBA, this clash has elevated from a one-off novelty to a plausible NBA Finals preview. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2025

She's flabbergasted that PRNDL has endured. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025

None other than Dionne Warwick has also been flabbergasted by this latest metaphor. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for flabbergast

• chloroplast
• epiblast
• opencast
• overcast
• protoplast
• rebroadcast
• telecast
• trophoblast
• ultrafast
• unsurpassed
• aghast
• amassed

Kids Definition

flabbergast

verb

flab·​ber·​gast ˈflab-ər-ˌgast 

: astonish, dumbfound