˜yĞÄvlog

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gobsmacked

[ gob-smakt ]

adjective

Chiefly British Slang.
  1. utterly astounded; astonished:

    I was truly gobsmacked by their decision.



gobsmacked

/ ˈɡɒ²úËŒ²õ³¾Ã¦°ì³Ù /

adjective

  1. slang.
    astounded; astonished
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other ˜yĞÄvlog Forms

  • ²µ´Ç²ú·²õ³¾²¹³¦°ì·¾±²Ô²µ adjective
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˜yĞÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of gobsmacked1

First recorded in 1955–60; gob 3 + smack 2 + -ed 2
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˜yĞÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of gobsmacked1

C20: from gob ³ + smack ²
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"I'm just a bit gobsmacked that it took them so long to sort out," he said.

From

The peppery cold crunch of the radish, the smooth fattiness of the butter, the crispness and salinity of the salt — I was gobsmacked.

From

"Talk about people being flabbergasted and gobsmacked," he recalls.

From

Lewis Hamilton said he was "gobsmacked" to take his first pole position for Ferrari for the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.

From

"I've lost five years of my life, my job, my pension. People are absolutely gobsmacked when you tell them I've been refused compensation."

From

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More About Gobsmacked

What doesÌıgobsmacked mean?

Gobsmacked is an adjective that means completely shocked.

The word gobsmacked comes from England and Scotland, where it is used as slang to express extreme shock. Gobsmacked is often used by people from these areas.

Example: She was absolutely gobsmacked when she discovered a large pile of money under the floorboards.

Where doesÌı²µ´Ç²ú²õ³¾²¹³¦°ì±ğ»åÌıcome from?

Based on the parts of the word, feeling gobsmacked is equivalent to feeling like you’ve been (figuratively) hit in the mouth: gob is slang for “mouth†and smack is a verb that means “to hit.†(The suffix -ed, which is used to indicate the past tense, turns the word into an adjective.) Gobsmacked originated as English and Scottish slang, and the first records of its use come from around the mid-1930s. It’s now a common slang term in the U.K. and is also used somewhat commonly in the U.S. and other English-speaking areas.

Gobsmacked means “astounded†or “astonished,†often to the point of being speechless. But you don’t say gobsmacked just any time you want to mean “shocked.†It’s a slang term that really calls attention to the fact that you were completely not expecting what happened—a lot like flabbergasted.

Gobsmacked can be used in just about any situation when someone is shocked. For example, someone might say they were gobsmacked when they won the lottery, or when they found out that something costs way more than they thought, or when a friend surprised them with a completely unexpected visit. When was the last time you were gobsmacked?

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for gobsmacked?

What are some words that share a root or word element with gobsmacked?

Ìı

Ìı

Ìı

How isÌıgobsmacked used in real life?

Gobsmacked is a very informal way to say shocked. It’s mainly used in the U.K., but it’s not uncommon to hear elsewhere (probably because it’s so fun to say).

Try usingÌıgobsmacked!

Which of the following words is an antonym (opposite) of gobsmacked?

A. astonished
B. amazed
C. shocked
D. unsurprised

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