definitions
  • synonyms

dumbfound

or dum·found

[ duhm-found, duhm-found ]
/ dʌmˈfaʊnd, ˈdʌmˌfaʊnd /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dumbfound ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to make speechless with amazement; astonish.

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RELATED WORDS

bewilder, stun, nonplus, boggle, confound, amaze, startle, astonish, flabbergast, puzzle, overwhelm, surprise, stagger, throw

Nearby words

dumbarton oaks, dumbartonshire, dumbass, dumbbell, dumbbell nebula, dumbfound, dumbfounded, dumbhead, dumbledore, dumbly, dumbo
Also dumb·found·er, dum·found·er.

Origin of dumbfound

First recorded in 1645–55; dumb + (con)found
SYNONYMS FOR dumbfound
amaze, confound, astound, stagger.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dumbfound ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formsdumb·found·er·ment, dum·found·er·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dumbfound

  • He can show such familiarity with the Incas affairs as to dumbfound the old boy.

    The Radio Boys' Search for the Inca's Treasure|Gerald Breckenridge

  • Dumbfound, to perplex, to beat soundly till not able to speak.

    The Slang Dictionary|John Camden Hotten

British Dictionary definitions for dumbfound

dumbfound

dumfound

/ (dʌmˈfaʊnd) /

verb

(tr) to strike dumb with astonishment; amaze

Word Origin for dumbfound

C17: from dumb + (con) found
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

Word Origin and History for dumbfound

dumbfound

v.

1650s, from dumb (adj.) + ending from confound.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper