Dumbfounded Meaning and example sentences with explanation

Word of the Day: Dumbfounded (adjective)

Possible Meanings:

  • Speechless with astonishment or surprise; utterly amazed.

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Example Sentences:

  • She stood there dumbfounded, unable to believe what she had just seen. (This is the most common meaning.)
  • The magician’s final trick left the audience dumbfounded.
  • The news of his sudden promotion left him completely dumbfounded.

Origin:

Dumbfounded is a combination of “dumb” (meaning speechless) and “foundered” (meaning to collapse or sink).

Conversation Example:

Person 1: “Did you hear about the celebrity sighting downtown?”

Person 2: “No way! Who was it? I’d be dumbfounded if I saw a famous person just walking around.”

Similar words:

  • Astounded
  • Astonished
  • Amazed
  • Stunned
  • Shocked
  • Gobsmacked (informal)
  • Flabbergasted (informal)

Can you use dumbfounded in a sentence of your own? Share your example in the comments below.

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