thunderstruck 1 of 2

adjective

as in stunned
affected with sudden and great wonder or surprise the teen was thunderstruck when his parents told him he had been adopted

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

thunderstruck

2 of 2

verb

past tense of thunderstrike
as in surprised
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected everyone was thunderstruck when she quit her job without warning

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thunderstruck
Adjective
Dolly was thunderstruck but hardly resigned to life as a has-been. — Martha Ackmann, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 The baseball-loving family members were thunderstruck at spotting the T206 Honus Wagner in the frame. — Marin Independent Journal, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thunderstruck
  1. stunned
  2. surprised
  3. amazed
  4. shocked
  5. astonished
  6. startled
  7. dumbstruck
Adjective
  • Fernández’s adaptation is anxious to turn tragedy into a sermon, offering theatergoers moral solace where Sophocles leaves his audience in a contemplative state of stunned silence.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • What happened next — footage of a stunned DeLonge, Hoppus, and Barker on set watching President Bush’s address after the attacks— aired later that week on MTV News.
    — Sarah Shanfield, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of stunned
Verb
  • Some were excellent in ways that surprised me and compelled me to see more, some were familiar or forgettable, and others even at just a few minutes in length felt unbearably long.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • According to an industry report by Luminate, the first half of 2026 saw a 16 percent surge in CD sales — and you might be surprised by who’s buying them.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of surprised
Adjective
  • Everyone was amazed that, yes, this teeny tiny thing was actually a functioning camera that could take relatively good pictures, and not just a cute, decorative keychain.
    — Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Experts are amazed to see such progress in the humanoid robot industry.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of amazed
Verb
  • News consumers today, surfing the slurry of free information on their phones and browsers, are constantly being shocked by the old.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Atlanta drivers were left shocked late Sunday night after a driver's legs were seen dangling from a vehicle lodged under an overpass.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • Further stories illuminate emotional realities burrowed deep within enormously likeable characters, often moving the reader (or this reader anyway) to astonished tears.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • One that draws more approving thumbs-ups, creates more astonished grins, or pulls more phones from pockets for impromptu photographs and video—especially in stunning Verde Ermes metallic paint.
    — Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Definition of astonished
Verb
  • While holding Gnocchi, a large street cleaning truck whipped down the street and startled him into clawing away.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.
    — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of startled
Adjective
  • And she is just completely dumbstruck by that.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Lyons can be a brilliant agent of chaos, a person whose presence left castmates starstruck before her bluntness left them dumbstruck.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 13 July 2023
Definition of dumbstruck

Browse Nearby Words

thunderstriking
thunderstruck
thunk
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Cite this Entry

“Thunderstruck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thunderstruck. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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