- Today's Word
Gobsmacked
[GOB-smakt]
Definition
- (verb) To be utterly astonished, astounded, or speechless due to a surprising or shocking event. It’s a state of being so taken aback that you’re left with your mouth agape, unable to find the right words to express your amazement or disbelief.
Example
Upon learning that she had won the lottery jackpot, Sarah was absolutely gobsmacked, staring at the ticket in stunned silence for several minutes before erupting in joyful screams.
Fun Fact
“Gobsmacked” is a quintessentially British slang term that has gained popularity around the world. The word is believed to have originated in the 1980s, likely as a combination of the words “gob,” which is a colloquial term for the mouth, and “smack,” meaning to strike or hit. This colorful combination perfectly captures the idea of being so shocked that it’s as if you’ve been smacked in the mouth, leaving you speechless. The term has become so widely used that it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2005, cementing its place in the English language as a vivid and expressive way to describe a state of utter astonishment.
(noun) A person who takes excessive pleasure in eating and drinking, often to the point of overindulgence.
The restaurant critic was a gourmand in the truest sense — not merely knowledgeable about food but physically incapable of leaving anything on the plate.
Gourmand comes from the Old French gourmant, meaning “glutton” or “one who eats greedily,” of uncertain further origin. It entered English in the 15th century carrying its French sense of someone defined by appetite rather than discernment. The word is frequently confused with gourmet — a person of refined culinary taste — but the distinction is meaningful: a gourmet selects carefully and savors deliberately, while a gourmand simply wants more. One is defined by quality, the other by quantity.