as in astonishment
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
upon hearing the unexpected news, she just sat there in total stupefaction
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Recent Examples of stupefaction
Rogan, wearing his persona as a babe-in-the-woods naif, listened to this nonsense in slack-jawed stupefaction.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Advertisement The depth of my stupefaction is at the center of a debate playing out on social media, prompted by what seemed to be a definitive ruling on the matter from ketchup giant Heinz.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 3 July 2023
As usual, however, TIME's selection has stirred up disagreement/bemusement/stupefaction.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2010
Glimpses of both are embedded inside her bracing work, along with a healthy dose of stupefaction and bewilderment.
—Christopher Knightart Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2022
So here’s a handy guide to stick it to your co-conversants and have their heads nodding at your bon mots in sublime stupefaction.
—Andy Kessler, WSJ, 13 June 2021
The ‘Brexit’ series has only heightened this sense of entertainment and stupefaction.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 29 May 2021
Marsalis’s expression combines shock, dismay, amusement, stupefaction, and something like resignation.
—BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2021
The tourists, speaking in bad French, shake their heads in stupefaction.
—New York Times, 7 Feb. 2021
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Advertisement The depth of my stupefaction is at the center of a debate playing out on social media, prompted by what seemed to be a definitive ruling on the matter from ketchup giant Heinz.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 3 July 2023
As usual, however, TIME's selection has stirred up disagreement/bemusement/stupefaction.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2010
Glimpses of both are embedded inside her bracing work, along with a healthy dose of stupefaction and bewilderment.
—Christopher Knightart Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2022
So here’s a handy guide to stick it to your co-conversants and have their heads nodding at your bon mots in sublime stupefaction.
—Andy Kessler, WSJ, 13 June 2021
The ‘Brexit’ series has only heightened this sense of entertainment and stupefaction.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 29 May 2021
Marsalis’s expression combines shock, dismay, amusement, stupefaction, and something like resignation.
—BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2021
The tourists, speaking in bad French, shake their heads in stupefaction.
—New York Times, 7 Feb. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupefaction
Noun
-
Cooper went on to express astonishment at Brown's ability to shrug off the initial insecurity but, ten years after the initial buzz cut, the actress is no stranger to defending herself against critics who comment on her appearance.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
12 Mar. 2025
-
When a seemingly routine Oval Office press conference degenerated into a shouting match on 28 February, the world looked on in astonishment.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
To no one’s amazement, Shohei Ohtani homered triumphantly in the Tokyo Series.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2025
-
To our collective amazement, the RGB LEDs were able to create wholly recognizable color images.—
Ryan Waniata,
WIRED,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The college basketball world was in shock when USC Trojans women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury during the team’s March Madness game against Mississippi State earlier this week.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
-
This probably won’t come as much of a shock, but worrying incessantly can wreak havoc on your physical and mental health.—
Julia Ries,
SELF,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But her surprise engagement wasn't the biggest shock.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
-
And the second round of the women’s tournament begins today after a first round that yielded few surprises seed-wise, although six teams — UConn, LSU, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — scored more than 100 points for the first time in the history of the women’s NCAA tournament.—
Andrew Torgan,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stupefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupefaction. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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