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Definition of gobsmacked

gobsmacked

/ˈɡɑːb.smækt/
gob · smacked
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gobsmacked Lexical Profile

gobsmacked Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

British Utterly astonished or astounded; so surprised that one is left speechless.

Example

"She was completely gobsmacked when the committee announced that her research proposal had won the national grant."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
View all antonyms for gobsmacked

Word Nuance & Usage

Primarily used in British and Commonwealth informal speech and almost exclusively as a predicate adjective (e.g., 'I was gobsmacked' rather than 'a gobsmacked crowd').

• Nearby Words

gobo
gobs
gobshite
gobsmacked
gobsmacking
gobstopper
goby

Word Origin & Etymology

Originated in 20th-century British slang as a compound of 'gob' (an informal word for the mouth, likely of Celtic origin) and 'smacked', evoking the gesture of clapping one's hand over the mouth in shock or feeling as though struck in the mouth.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Gobsmacked. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/gobsmacked
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