thunderstruck — extremely surprised or shocked; astonished
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: extremely surprised or shocked; astonished
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈθʌndərstrʌk/
Example Sentences
- He was thunderstruck when his cat started talking back to him in perfect English.
- The audience sat thunderstruck as the magician made the entire stage disappear.
- I was thunderstruck to discover that my 90-year-old grandmother had more Instagram followers than me.
thunderstruck
ADJECTIVE[/ˈθʌndərstrʌk/]
extremely surprised or shocked; astonished
extremely surprised or shocked; astonished
From starstruck wonder to thunderstruck awe!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Thunderstruck is a compound word formed from the Old English 'thunder' (a loud sound from lightning) and 'struck' (past tense of strike). The word originated in the 16th century to describe someone who appears stunned or shocked, as if physically struck by a bolt of lightning, expressing sudden and overwhelming surprise.
Breakdown
thunder (the loud sound accompanying lightning) + struck (past participle of 'strike', meaning hit or affected by). The compound creates a metaphor where emotional shock is likened to the physical impact of a lightning strike.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“He was thunderstruck when his cat started talking back to him in perfect English.”
“The audience sat thunderstruck as the magician made the entire stage disappear.”
“I was thunderstruck to discover that my 90-year-old grandmother had more Instagram followers than me.”
“She remained thunderstruck for several minutes after receiving the unexpected promotion.”
📚Related Words
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