First recorded around 1765–75.
A variant of flabagast, which may be a combination of flabb(y), \"hanging loosely or limply\" or flap, \"a blow given with something broad and flat,\" and aghast, \"struck with overwhelming shock.\"
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF FLABBERGAST\r\n

The magician's disappearing act never failed to flabbergast the audience.
The unexpected news about the new mayor flabbergasted the community.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Submit now!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/F01/F0183700.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"verb","data":"to overcome with surprise and bewilderment; astound."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/flabbergast_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"xM7btD_BZ4QN--hgR-gGT","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"a-c-p","entry":"A.C.P."},{"slug":"acpt","entry":"acpt."},{"slug":"acquaint","entry":"acquaint"},{"slug":"acquaintance","entry":"acquaintance"},{"slug":"acquaintance-rape","entry":"acquaintance rape"}],"after":[{"slug":"acquainted","entry":"acquainted"},{"slug":"acquest","entry":"acquest"},{"slug":"acquiesce","entry":"acquiesce"},{"slug":"acquiesced","entry":"acquiesced"},{"slug":"acquiescence","entry":"acquiescence"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"acquaintance-violence"},"requestId":"28H83-q-qScTMfQaf3_cH","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"acquaintance-violence"},"requestId":"A0iXLOEOvhrCJk3NTZM3n","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"CollinsEntry","headword":{"displayForm":"acquaintance violence","slug":"acquaintance-violence"},"homonym":null,"note":null,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechGroups":[{"definitions":[{"crossReferencesConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"defgrp\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"impulsive aggressive behaviour towards someone with whom the attacker has been in contact\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"idiom":null,"ordinal":1,"sense":null,"subdefinitions":[]}],"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciations":[],"subEntry":[]}],"url":"acquaintance-violence"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"acquaintance-violence"},"requestId":"fSa5USd-qaTMNJxg2R0B8","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"acquaintance-violence","displayForm":"acquaintance violence","canonicalSlug":"acquaintance-violence","content":[{"source":"collins","entries":[{"id":"ac1639e92.6bfb.1014.b87b.c2803370a23a.1","type":"normal","entry":"acquaintance violence","entrySyllabified":null,"entryVariants":"","homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"audio":null,"spell":null,"ipa":""},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":"","definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","definition":"impulsive aggressive behaviour towards someone with whom the attacker has been in contact","postdefinitionContent":""}]}],"origin":"","supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"derivedForms":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":1301,"index-rank-01":["acquaintance violence"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":[],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"acquaintance-violence"},"requestId":"LPeNYIGUSsY_2sJF527gY","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":[],"tuna":[],"lunaWithSlug":[],"tunaWithSlug":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"acquaintance-violence"},"requestId":"tDFGNyA1FQlMCVv3n0sCX","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

acquaintance violence

noun

Word of the Day