gobsmacked
/ˈɡɒb.smækt/adjective
gobsmacked is spelled G-O-B-S-M-A-C-K-E-D: 10 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 51,129th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, gobsmacked means “Flabbergasted, astounded, speechless, overawed” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in gobsmacked?
| Letters | 10: G-O-B-S-M-A-C-K-E-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 51,129th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is gobsmacked?
Gobsmacked appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 51,129th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce gobsmacked?
- UK /ˈɡɒb.smækt/
Gobsmacked has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: EN-AU_ck1_gobsmacked.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of gobsmacked
- more gobsmacked comparative
- most gobsmacked superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gobsmacked mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
CommonwealthIrelandUKslangFlabbergasted, astounded, speechless, overawed.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gobsmacked in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense Flabbergasted, astounded, speechless, overawed:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | estomaqué |
| German | sprachlos, überrascht |
| Spanish | estupefacto |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does gobsmacked come from?
As if smacked (“hit”) in the gob (“mouth (Irish / Scottish gaelic)”). Attested since 1959, from Northern English dialect, particularly Liverpool, popularized via television.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).