gobsmacked

Gobsmacked is British slang for utterly astonished, so surprised you don’t know what to say. Picture someone with their hand over their open mouth.

What gobsmacked means

Merriam-Webster defines it as overwhelmed with wonder, surprise or shock. It works for good news and bad: you can be gobsmacked by a surprise party or by a shocking bill. It’s stronger than surprised and more casual than astounded, and it has a cheerful, slightly comic sound that keeps it from feeling too serious.

Examples

• “I was gobsmacked when she said yes.”
• “The view from the top left us completely gobsmacked.”
• “He just stood there, gobsmacked, holding the winning ticket.”

Where it came from

The word is built exactly how it sounds. “Gob” is British slang for mouth (as in “shut your gob”), and “smacked” means hit. Merriam-Webster breaks it down as gob plus smack plus -ed and gives a first known use of 1956. The image is of being so shocked you clap a hand to your mouth, or feel like you’ve been hit in it.

Is it rude?

No. “Gob” on its own can sound rough (“shut your gob” is not polite), but gobsmacked is perfectly friendly and turns up in newspapers, on TV and in everyday conversation. Americans understand it, though it still sounds unmistakably British.

Related terms

• Shook: shaken or shocked, in American slang.
• Chuffed: delighted.
• Dead: laughing so hard you can’t breathe.

See more terms like this in our British slang guide.