flabbergast

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈflæbəɡɑːst/ (UK); /ˈflæbɚˌɡæst/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is of unknown or uncertain origin.^[2][3][4] It may come from a dialect, since it was noted as a Sussex word in 1823,^[4] and it may be an arbitrary formation from flabby or flapper and aghast.^[5][4][6] Barnhart rejects a link with Scots flabrigastit “worn out”, which appears only later.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

To astonish utterly, leaving someone unable to speak or act (1772).^[7][5][3][4]

Semantic evolution

In 1772 a magazine mentioned flabbergasted, together with bored, as a new fashionable word.^[4] The meaning has stayed the same, and the past participle flabbergasted is the commonest form.^[4][1] The noun flabbergastation is recorded in 1856.^[7]

Timeline

• 1772 – to astonish utterly.^[7][5][3][4]
• 1823 – noted as a Sussex word.^[4]
• 1856 – flabbergastation.^[7]

Modern meaning

Verb

1. To overwhelm with surprise or bewilderment; to astound.

Word family

• flabbergastingly
• flabbergaster

Related words

• aghast
• flabby

Usage notes

Random House lists amaze, astonish, stagger, nonplus and confound as synonyms.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press