Thesaurus results for FLABBERGAST

Q: How does the verb 'flabbergast' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of flabbergast are amaze , astonish , astound , and surprise . While all these words mean "to impress forcibly through unexpectedness," flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay. // flabbergasted by his angry refusal

Q: When would 'amaze' be a good substitute for 'flabbergast'?

The words amaze and flabbergast can be used in similar contexts, but amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment. // amazed by the immense size of the place

Q: When is 'astonish' a more appropriate choice than 'flabbergast'?

The meanings of astonish and flabbergast largely overlap; however, astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible. // a discovery that astonished the world

Q: When might 'astound' be a better fit than 'flabbergast'?

While in some cases nearly identical to flabbergast , astound stresses the shock of astonishment. // too astounded to respond

Q: Where would 'surprise' be a reasonable alternative to 'flabbergast'?

In some situations, the words surprise and flabbergast are roughly equivalent. However, surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel. // surprised to find them at home

flabbergast

verb

ˈfla-bər-ˌgast

Definition of flabbergast

as in to amaze

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected your decision to suddenly quit your job flabbergasts me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb flabbergast contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of flabbergast are amaze, astonish, astound, and surprise. While all these words mean "to impress forcibly through unexpectedness," flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

When would amaze be a good substitute for flabbergast?

The words amaze and flabbergast can be used in similar contexts, but amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

When is astonish a more appropriate choice than flabbergast?

The meanings of astonish and flabbergast largely overlap; however, astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

When might astound be a better fit than flabbergast?

While in some cases nearly identical to flabbergast, astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

Where would surprise be a reasonable alternative to flabbergast?

In some situations, the words surprise and flabbergast are roughly equivalent. However, surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of flabbergast Hockney was flabbergasted by the asking price. — Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026 The show’s hosts were flabbergasted in their post-game coverage. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 June 2026 Beardsley described herself as flabbergasted by the news. — Abigail Min, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026 Shapiro was flabbergasted and offended. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flabbergast

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flabbergast

Verb

But of the many falsehoods told by them, there was one which quite amazed me.

— Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026
His greatness is never in question, but to have the league at a standstill because of a 41-year-old free agent amazes me.

— Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of amaze

Verb

Her care team, however, surprised her by bringing the concert experience to her hospital room.

— Lauren Pastrana, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Jonathan Adler, a law professor at the College of William & Mary who has written on Roberts’s views on standing, told me he was surprised by Roberts’s vote.

— Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of surprise

Verb

Otherwise, considering the Seahawks had only three safeties on their initial 53-man roster, I wouldn’t be shocked if a cornerback entered the lineup.

— Andrew Destin, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
When it was released in 2016, Hero shocked the country music establishment in more ways than one.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of shock

Verb

The heated rhetoric has infuriated and astonished most Canadians; in a recent poll, seventy-six per cent supported the decision of the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, to walk away from trade talks with Washington.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Booming demand Anthropic’s growth has been astonishing even by Silicon Valley standards.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of astonish

Verb

This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.

— Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Of those who were injured, officials said that many were hurt while falling down or hitting themselves against furniture after being startled by the earthquake while sleeping.

— Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of startle

Browse Nearby Words

fjords

flabbergast

flabbergasted

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Flabbergast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flabbergast. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of flabbergast

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes