- Today's Word
Flabbergasted
[FLAB-er-gas-tid]
Definition
- (adjective) Extremely shocked, surprised, or astonished to the point of being unable to speak; overwhelmed with bewilderment or shock. As an adjective, it describes a state of complete surprise or disbelief.
Example
The magician left his audience flabbergasted when he seemingly made the elephant disappear from the stage.
Fun Fact
The word “flabbergasted” emerged in the late 18th century and is considered one of English’s more peculiar linguistic inventions. Its exact origin is uncertain, though it’s believed to be a combination of “flabber” (possibly related to “flap” or “flabby”) and “gast” (meaning “to frighten”). Some linguists suggest it may have been a nonsense word that caught on due to its expressive sound, as it perfectly mimics the feeling of being stunned speechless. The term first appeared in print around 1772, gaining popularity during the Victorian era.
(adjective) Tending to cry easily or frequently; having a mournful or tearful quality that evokes sadness.
The lachrymose eulogy left barely a dry eye in the room, not because it was maudlin but because every word of it was simply and devastatingly true.
Lachrymose derives from the Latin lacrima, meaning “tear,” which itself traces back to the Greek dakryma. The same root gives us lachrymal — the medical term for the tear ducts and glands responsible for producing tears — making lachrymose one of the rare words that bridges everyday emotion and clinical anatomy in a single syllable. It entered English in the 17th century, used initially in literary and poetic contexts to describe writing or music with an overwhelming quality of sadness.