What it means
Flabbergasted means completely stunned by surprise, the kind where your brain goes blank and your face forgets how to act normal. It's big, a bit theatrical, and perfect for moments that leave you staring, blinking, and trying to reboot your whole system.
Usage examples
"I was absolutely flabbergasted when they announced my name, I had not prepared a single word and just stood there blinking."
"I was flabbergasted when they announced my name as the winner."
"I was flabbergasted when he turned up married with a baby and we'd all thought he was just off on a lads' holiday."
"She opened the electricity bill, went fully flabbergasted, and just sat there whispering nah, absolutely not."
"Mate, I was flabbergasted when the pub said one chip butty was nine quid. Nine. Quid."
Where it comes from
Recorded in English from the late 1700s, flabbergasted has long had that jokey, oversized punch people love for big surprise. The exact root is still fuzzy, so nobody can pin down a clean origin story with confidence. What's solid is the history of use, not a proven breakdown of how the word was built.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.
We look after this expression together
If they say it where you live and something is missing here, bring it. A magikito looks at it and adds it.
- An example
- Your patch
- Your voice