flabbergast
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- flabbergaster noun
Etymology
Origin of flabbergast
Explanation
To flabbergast is to shock, awe, bowl over. For something to flabbergast you, it ought to leave you sputtering in amazement. The word flabbergast dates back to 1772, but its origin is unknown. Perhaps its creator had in mind both being aghast and the sputtering sound made by people who are so amazed, they can barely speak. To flabbergast is to shock, so some events that might flabbergast you include winning the lottery, hearing that your best friend and his family moved to Switzerland yesterday without telling you, or getting stuck in a snowstorm in April in Texas.
Vocabulary lists containing flabbergast
The Infinite Questions of Dottie Bing
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
What Stars Are Made Of
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Novel Study: Untwine, Chapters 1–23
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Though I generally stuck to the main questline and sidequests, the optional tombs that I sampled were diverting puzzle boxes that sometimes stumped me but didn’t flabbergast me.
From Washington Post • Sep. 10, 2018
Sections on the possibility of artificial consciousness would flabbergast even Philip K. Dick.
From New York Times • Aug. 16, 2018
A feature on jargon in "soccer" - the American terms that leave Brits reeling and the British terms that flabbergast Americans - generated a huge response from readers.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2013
It is intended to flabbergast, enlighten and amuse visitors to this year's world's fairs in San Francisco and New York City.
From Time Magazine Archive
An officer appointed to mislead, restrain, hypnotize, cajole, seduce, browbeat, flabbergast and bamboozle a jury in such a manner that it will forget all the facts and give its decision to the best lawyer.
From A Book of Burlesques by Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
