A person or thing that causes complete shock or confusion, leaving someone unable to speak or think clearly.
From 'dumb' (unable to speak) combined with 'founder' (to fail or sink), originating in the 16th century. The word originally meant to stun someone into silence, and evolved to mean to perplex or confound utterly.
This word captures a moment in time—when someone is so shocked they literally cannot respond. Shakespeare's contemporaries loved this dramatic effect, and we still use versions of it ('dumbfounded') to describe that jaw-dropping moment.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.