Meaning & use

dumbfounded

adjective·Everyday

So astonished or shocked that one is momentarily unable to speak or react.

See it in a sentence

She stood dumbfounded when she opened the door and saw the surprise party waiting.

The judges were dumbfounded by the twelve-year-old's flawless piano performance.

A note on using this word

Dumbfounded stresses a loss of speech from shock, distinguishing it from words like 'surprised,' which don't imply the same speechlessness.

Words with a similar meaning

astonishedstunnedflabbergasted

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

unfazed

Make it your own

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