dumbfound

verb

dumb·​found ˌdəm-ˈfau̇nd 

ˈdəm-ˌfaund

variants or less commonly dumfound

dumbfounded also dumfounded; dumbfounding also dumfounding; dumbfounds also dumfounds

transitive verb

: to confound (see confound sense 1) briefly and usually with astonishment

were dumbfounded at what they saw

dumbfoundingly

ˌdəm-ˈfau̇n-diŋ-lē 

ˈdəm-ˌfau̇n-

adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for dumbfound

puzzle, perplex, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally.

puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.

the persistent fever puzzled the doctor

perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.

a behavior that perplexed her friends

bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.

a bewildering number of possibilities

distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.

distracted by personal problems

nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.

the remark left us utterly nonplussed

confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.

the tragic news confounded us all

dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.

was at first too dumbfounded to reply

Examples of dumbfound in a Sentence

the surprise ending will dumbfound even the most seasoned mystery reader

Recent Examples on the Web

Siri’s Guide for Newbie Farmers To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This implausible performance dumbfounded many Americans, like Carol Foyler, who resides in Akron, Ohio. —Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, 27 June 2023

The doctors must certainly have been impressed, even dumbfounded, given their diagnosis. —Joy Williams, Harper's Magazine, 14 Dec. 2022

Credit: Everett Collection Sox in Lightyear Sohn as Sox, the cat-like personal companion robot for Chris Evans' Buzz Lightyear, became the unexpected standout of this 2022 movie — which still dumbfounds Sohn a bit to this day. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 16 June 2023

An American visionary, Anderson embraces his bourgeois adolescence with poetic accuracy: a boy floating forward to give help; a girl raising her hand to ask a question; a general revealing his ethnically specific history; everyone dumbfounded by an extraterrestrial’s appearance. —Armond White, National Review, 16 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

dumb + -found (as in confound)

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dumbfound

verb

dumb·​found

variants also dumfound

ˌdəm-ˈfau̇nd 

: to cause to become speechless with astonishment : amaze

dumbfoundingly

-ˈfau̇n-diŋ-lē 

adverb