poleaxed
Felled by shock
Poleaxed means struck down or stunned, as if hit with a poleaxe—a heavy medieval weapon combining an axe blade with a spike or hammer.
The word now appears almost entirely in its figurative sense: knocked senseless by shock, surprise, or overwhelming emotion.
She stood poleaxed when she heard the news.
The team looked poleaxed after the loss.
Overwhelmed with amazement
- dumbfoundedRendered speechless by surprise
- astonishedGreatly shocked, overwhelmed
- thunderstruckExtremely shocked or amazed
- gobsmackedExtremely astonished
stupefied · shell-shocked · speechless · aghast · bewildered · startled · overwhelmed · amazed
Cut down, as timber
- droppedLet fall downward
- knocked outRendered unconscious by impact
- dispatchedSent to a destination
- slainKilled, often violently
struck down · butchered · culled · abattoir · stunner · cattle · livestock · meatpacking
flabbergasted
Overwhelmed with amazement
- dumbfoundedRendered speechless by surprise
- astonishedGreatly shocked, overwhelmed
- thunderstruckExtremely shocked or amazed
gobsmacked · stupefied · shell-shocked · speechless · aghast · bewildered · startled · overwhelmed · amazed · confounded
felled
Cut down, as timber
- droppedLet fall downward
- knocked outRendered unconscious by impact
- dispatchedSent to a destination
slain · struck down · butchered · culled · abattoir · stunner · cattle · livestock · meatpacking · rendering
halberd
Axe-headed infantry pike
glaive · billhook · partisan · lance · bladed · armory · flail · mace · medieval · infantry
- Stunned reactionsshocked, amazed, surprised, speechless, awed
poleaxedupright
Vertical or morally sound
standing · conscious · alert · ambulatory · steady
poleaxedunfazed
Not disturbed or disconcerted
composed · prepared · unflappable · forewarned · unsurprised
poleaxedunaffected
Not changed or influenced
unmoved · unbothered · indifferent · untouched · impassive