GOBSMACKED
Est. 1828
gobsmacked
adjective
gob·smacked ˈgäb-ˌsmakt
chiefly British, informal
: overwhelmed with wonder, surprise, or shock : astounded
Several minutes later I touch the bottom, pleased to discover that Louise—despite all her experience exploring caves elsewhere in the world—is as gobsmacked as I am. “This place is huge, and daylit,” she says, her face glazed with awe.—Gregory Crouch
Thus, when the cell-phone video surfaced, fashion insiders were so gobsmacked that to this day they’ll tell you where they were when they first heard about it.—Ingrid Sischy
Examples of gobsmacked in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The group — consisting of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass — spent their time onstage reminiscing about their MTV salad days, basking in the glow of the adoring audience, and getting some serious love from a gobsmacked Swift.—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Sep. 2023The phrase appeared last March, much as a wildflower might: with sudden, almost gobsmacked abandon, born in preparation of its own demise.—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2021Everyone, including the Israeli delegation, looked gobsmacked.—Alejandro Varela, Harper’s magazine, 16 Sep. 2019
Word History
Etymology
gob entry 2 + smack entry 4 + -ed entry 1
First Known Use
1956, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of gobsmacked was in 1956
See more words from the same year
Rhymes for gobsmacked
- artefact
- artifact
- counteract
- inexact
- interact
- noncontact
- reenact
- subcontract
- abstract
- attacked
- attract
- contact
Browse Nearby Words
gobsmacked
Cite this Entry
Style MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster
“Gobsmacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gobsmacked. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Share
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!Merriam-Webster unabridged
Can you solve 4 words at once?
Word of the Day
apologia
See Definitions and Examples »
Get Word of the Day daily email!
Popular in Grammar & Usage
‘Affect’ vs. ‘Effect’
Using Bullet Points ( • )
Words You Always Have to Look Up
Democracy or Republic: What’s the difference?
Your vs. You’re: How to Use Them Correctly
Popular in Wordplay
8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much
How ‘Namaste’ Entered The English Language
10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms
Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
‘Za’ and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
Games & Quizzes
QuordleCan you solve 4 words at once?Play
BlossomPick the best words!Play
Missing LetterA daily crossword with a twistPlay
Add A Letter QuizPick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou…Take the quiz
Learn a new word every day. Delivered to your inbox!
© 2025 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.
Do not sell or share my personal information.https://ads.yieldmo.com/ymcas?us_privacy=1YNY&gdpr=0&gdpr_consent=&type=iframe&limit=*&lf=&jsv=0.0.0