Causing someone to feel shocked, confused, or upset; making someone feel alarmed or bewildered.
From Latin 'consternatus' (confused, dismayed) derived from 'consternare' (to confuse or alarm). The prefix 'con-' means 'with' and the root relates to 'sternere' (to scatter or throw down). The word entered English in the 17th century with its meaning of causing emotional disturbance.
The word 'consternation' comes from the image of soldiers scattering in panic, as if their formation was literally thrown down—so when something is 'consternating,' it's throwing people's calm down and making them scatter mentally!
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