dumbstruck
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of dumbstruck
Explanation
When you're dumbstruck, you're so amazed or shocked that you can't say a word. You might be dumbstruck with fear when you hear a scary noise upstairs in your supposedly empty house. You might be dumbstruck by the changes in a town you haven't seen in several years, or dumbstruck with terror on a roller coaster. The adjective dumbstruck describes someone who's rendered speechless by an overwhelming emotion — in other words, struck dumb, or "silent," which is the oldest meaning of the word, directly from the Old English.
Vocabulary lists containing dumbstruck
Words from "The Avengers"
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!
Lyrical vocabulary: Return to the '70s
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!
Elijah of Buxton
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.
"Instead of being dumbstruck by the enormity of it, we can actually make progress toward an answer about why we're here in the universe."
From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026
Everyone was still too dumbstruck by what they had witnessed from Ohtani: perhaps the single greatest individual game ever played.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025
Kennedy, now even more dumbstruck and insulted, tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, and to engage other members of the delegation.
From Slate • Aug. 18, 2025
The force previously defended its actions after Pearson said she was left "dumbstruck" by a visit to her home on Remembrance Sunday.
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2024
This time Sammy cut a look at the mesmerist that waren’t the least bit dumbstruck, it was kind of edging on being worried.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
