flabbergast
Leave someone speechless
Flabbergast means to astonish or astound someone completely: I was flabbergasted when she announced her resignation.
The word suggests being struck speechless by surprise.
It carries a slightly theatrical, almost comic quality—you might be flabbergasted by unexpected news, but devastated by tragedy.
Shock with wonder
- dumbfoundShock into silence
- stupefyOverwhelm with astonishment
- thunderstruckExtremely shocked or amazed
- gobsmackedExtremely astonished
stagger · awestruck · bowled over · floored · stupefaction · incredulity · disbelief · amazement
Cause utter confusion
- confoundTo thoroughly puzzle
- perplexCause utter confusion
- baffleConfuse or perplex
- mystifyConfuse beyond understanding
puzzle · nonplus · discombobulate · flummox · befuddle · disorient · bemuse · stump
Rendered speechless by shock
- speechlessUnable to talk
- wordlessLacking spoken content
- tongue-tiedUnable to express oneself
- muteWithout voice or sound
stunned silence · lost for words · agape · open-mouthed · breathless · struck dumb · silenced · inarticulate
Abrupt forceful shake
- startleFrighten suddenly
- stunDaze by force
- shakeTrembling or blended treat
- blindsideSurprise with unexpected force
bombshell · bolt from the blue · rude awakening · caught off guard · sucker punch · whiplash · jarring · unnerve
astound
Shock with wonder
- dumbfoundShock into silence
- stupefyOverwhelm with astonishment
- thunderstruckExtremely shocked or amazed
gobsmacked · stagger · awestruck · bowled over · floored · stupefaction · incredulity · disbelief · amazement · wonderstruck
bewilder
Cause utter confusion
mystify · puzzle · nonplus · discombobulate · flummox · befuddle · disorient · bemuse · stump · addled
dumbstruck
Rendered speechless by shock
- speechlessUnable to talk
- wordlessLacking spoken content
- tongue-tiedUnable to express oneself
mute · stunned silence · lost for words · agape · open-mouthed · breathless · struck dumb · silenced · inarticulate · voiceless
jolt
Abrupt forceful shake
blindside · bombshell · bolt from the blue · rude awakening · caught off guard · sucker punch · whiplash · jarring · unnerve · rattle
- American slangbamboozle, bogus, bunkum, conniption, discombobulate
- Whimsy Wordsgobbledygook, gibberish, mumbo jumbo, hogwash, balderdash
- stunstun, daze, shock, stupefy, stagger
flabbergastexpect
Consider likely to occur
anticipate · come as no surprise · predict · foresee · underwhelm