dumbfounded
Americanadjective
verb
Etymology
Origin of dumbfounded
Explanation
When you're dumbfounded, you're amazed. Being dumbfounded is an extreme form of being surprised or caught off guard. Being dumbfounded is not something that happens every day: this is a word that means something similar to astonished and gobsmacked. Only things that are extraordinary can dumbfound you. This word plays on an older meaning of dumb that means unable to speak. When you're dumbfounded, you're so astounded and shocked that you can't even speak. Save this word for occasions that are truly unusual and amazing.
Vocabulary lists containing dumbfounded
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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.
But when he opened his mouth and English lyrics started to spill out, he was completely dumbfounded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Such was Calvert-Lewin's hunger, he looked dumbfounded after learning his header for Leeds' second against Newcastle had been awarded to team-mate Jayden Bogle after it took a final touch off his team-mate.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Huckabee, however, appeared dumbfounded: “I’m totally unable to process what you’re trying to get at.”
From Slate ● Feb. 25, 2026
American skater Nathan Chen, the Beijing men's individual gold medallist, was dumbfounded, saying: "What a shock".
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
“We all just sat there dumbfounded, like: ‘Oh, my gosh, that could’ve been our kid,”’ Clark says, looking back.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
