Flabbergasting

/ˈflæbərɡæstɪŋ/ adjective

Definition

Extremely shocking or surprising in a way that leaves you speechless.

Etymology

Present participle of flabbergast, derived from the verb form that emerged in English around 1772, possibly from Dutch or Scandinavian roots, though the exact origin remains mysterious.

Kelly Says

The original coiner of 'flabbergast' is lost to history, but it was so perfectly onomatopoetic—the 'fl' and 'gast' sounds actually feel surprising—that it became one of English's most memorable words for shock without anyone knowing where it came from.

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