Gobsmacked means: , astounded, speechless, overawed.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
gobsmacked
(chiefly, UK, Commonwealth, Irish, slang) , astounded, speechless, overawed.
ˈɡɒb.smæktDocumented since 1950s1950sBoomerhistoricalCurrent118 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~1959 · 1 year of recorded use20th centurySee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
the thing that actually always gets me about this stuff is not that it happens; it’s how utterly gobsmacked and indignant they get when you call them on it.
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BlueskyMay 2026
Always gobsmacked when I run into an actual adult Anakin in the wild.
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BlueskyMay 2026
1972, 1st husband and I bought our first house at 22 along with our first ever brand new car. Only he was working, I was at Uni and we had a 2 yr old. My grands today are gobsmacked at what we had vs what they do to…
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BlueskyMay 2026
I am obsessed with this book, but I only finished it yesterday. It left me gobsmacked and I loved it. I hated Natalie but I felt so bad for her.
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BlueskyMay 2026
I was gobsmacked to learn that lots of people with diesel pickups replace the factory mufflers with glass packs because they want them to sound like "big rigs"
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Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(chiefly, UK, Commonwealth, Irish, slang) , astounded, speechless, overawed.
See it in action
“the thing that actually always gets me about this stuff is not that it happens; it’s how utterly gobsmacked and indignant they get when you call them on it.”
“Always gobsmacked when I run into an actual adult Anakin in the wild.”
“1972, 1st husband and I bought our first house at 22 along with our first ever brand new car. Only he was working, I was at Uni and we had a 2 yr old. My grands today are gobsmacked at what we had vs what they do today. None can afford to buy a house.”
Origin: As if hit in the mouth (Irish / Scottish gaelic). Attested since 1959, from Northern English dialect, particularly Liverpool, popularized via television. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Gobsmacked means: , astounded, speechless, overawed.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
gobsmacked means: , astounded, speechless, overawed.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: surprise
Heard in the wild
“the thing that actually always gets me about this stuff is not that it happens; it’s how utterly gobsmacked and indignant they get when you call them on it.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Always gobsmacked when I run into an actual adult Anakin in the wild.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“1972, 1st husband and I bought our first house at 22 along with our first ever brand new car. Only he was working, I was at Uni and we had a 2 yr old. My grands today are gobsmacked at what we had vs what they do today. None can afford to buy a house.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I am obsessed with this book, but I only finished it yesterday. It left me gobsmacked and I loved it. I hated Natalie but I felt so bad for her.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I was gobsmacked to learn that lots of people with diesel pickups replace the factory mufflers with glass packs because they want them to sound like "big rigs"”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "gobsmacked" (G)
goblin mode dressinggob offgo brrrgobshellgobshitegobsmackgobsmackergobsmackinggobsmackinglygob stickgobstoppergobstruck
Browse all slang words starting with G.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- gobsmacking87%
(slang, UK, Irish, Commonwealth) Causing one to be gobsmacked; astounding, flabbergasting.
- gobstruck85%
(slang, chiefly, UK, Irish, ) gobsmacked; astonished; astounded.
- gobsmack83%
(transitive, slang, UK, Irish, Commonwealth) To astonish, to render temporarily stuck for words.
- gobsmackingly83%
(slang, UK, Irish, Commonwealth) Astonishingly; amazingly.
- gobsmacker74%
(slang) Something gobsmacking or astounding.