gobsmacking
adjective
gobsmacking is spelled G-O-B-S-M-A-C-K-I-N-G: 11 letters. It appears about once in every 35 million words in written English, the 180,281st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, gobsmacking means “Causing one to be gobsmacked; astounding, flabbergasting” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in gobsmacking?
| Letters | 11: G-O-B-S-M-A-C-K-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 35 million words; the 180,281st 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 gobsmacking?
Gobsmacking appears about once in every 35 million words in written English, the 180,281st 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).
Forms of gobsmacking
- more gobsmacking comparative
- most gobsmacking superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gobsmacking mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
CommonwealthIrelandUKslangCausing one to be gobsmacked; astounding, flabbergasting.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gobsmacking in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense flabbergasted:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | überwältigend |
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 gobsmacking come from?
From gob + smacking.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).