What does 'gobsmacked' mean?

What it means: Utterly astonished — so surprised you can't speak. One of the most expressive words for shock in British English.

"I was absolutely gobsmacked when I heard the news."
"She was gobsmacked by the reaction she got."

Where it comes from: "Gob" is British slang for mouth (from Gaelic). "Smacked" suggests being hit. Gobsmacked = so shocked you've been hit in the mouth, leaving you speechless. The image is vivid and perfectly captures genuine astonishment.

How strong is it? Strong. Use it for genuinely surprising news, not mild surprises. It implies the surprise was almost overwhelming.

Register: Informal British English. You'd use it in conversation — never in a formal document. Americans understand it but find it charmingly British.

Tags: British English, surprise, informal, strong words