gobsmacked

adjective

gob·​smacked ˈgäb-ˌsmakt How to pronounce gobsmacked (audio)
chiefly British, informal
: overwhelmed with wonder, surprise, or shock : astounded
Several minutes later I touch the bottom, pleased to discover that Louise—despite all her experience exploring caves elsewhere in the world—is as gobsmacked as I am. "This place is huge, and daylit," she says, her face glazed with awe.Gregory Crouch
Thus, when the cell-phone video surfaced, fashion insiders were so gobsmacked that to this day they'll tell you where they were when they first heard about it.Ingrid Sischy

Examples of gobsmacked in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The group — consisting of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass — spent their time onstage reminiscing about their MTV salad days, basking in the glow of the adoring audience, and getting some serious love from a gobsmacked Swift. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Sep. 2023 The phrase appeared last March, much as a wildflower might: with sudden, almost gobsmacked abandon, born in preparation of its own demise. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2021 Everyone, including the Israeli delegation, looked gobsmacked. Alejandro Varela, Harper's magazine, 16 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gobsmacked.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gobsmacked was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near gobsmacked

Cite this Entry

“Gobsmacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gobsmacked. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

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