ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dumbfounded

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈdəmfaʊndɪd// UK //dˈʌmfaʊndɪd// dumb·found·ed

adj. so shocked or surprised that you cannot speak for a moment.

adj. temporarily unable to speak due to extreme astonishment or disbelief. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be', 'look', or 'stand'.


SIMPLE

She stood there dumbfounded after hearing the news.

CONTEXTUAL

The audience was left dumbfounded when the magician made the entire grand piano disappear from the stage.

COMPLEX

The investigators were utterly dumbfounded by the lack of physical evidence at the scene, as it contradicted every witness testimony they had gathered so far.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically follows a linking verb such as 'be', 'remain', or 'stand'.

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