Idiom
gobsmacked
Meanings
Extremely surprised or shocked; amazed and often speechless.
Definition
Completely shocked or amazed, often so much that you cannot speak.
If you are gobsmacked, you feel extremely surprised or shocked by something unexpected. It often suggests you are momentarily speechless. The word is informal and is especially common in British English, but it is widely understood.
Examples
- I was gobsmacked when they announced my name as the winner.
- She looked gobsmacked after hearing the news.
- We were gobsmacked by how quickly the room transformed.
- He was gobsmacked to find his lost wallet on the doorstep.
More at B2 level
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share a quick update or confirm plans.
- ballpark figure A ballpark figure is an approximate number or estimate, not an exact one.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to tease someone or make fun of them in a not-too-serious way.
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
More adjectives
- gutted If you are gutted, you feel extremely upset and disappointed, often because something went wrong.
- skint If someone is skint, they have no money or almost no money.
- tickety-boo If something is tickety-boo, it is going well and everything is in good order.
- pear-shaped If something goes pear-shaped, it goes wrong or fails unexpectedly.
- sorted If something is sorted, it has been organized into a clear order or arranged into categories.