Consternation
/ˌkɒn.stəˈneɪ.ʃən/noun
A state of sudden anxiety, alarm, or dismay.
Did you know?Consternation comes from Latin consternāre, a verb tied to the image of being thrown down or struck flat, so the word began as a physical collapse before becoming a mental one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ster-
“to spread out, stretch, or make flat”
Latin
Latin
sternere
“to spread out, lay low, or strew”
Latin
Latin
consternāre
“to throw into confusion, overwhelm, or prostrate”
Late Latin
Latin
consternātiō
“a state of terror or dismay”
Middle French
Old French
consternation
“astonishment, dismay, or confusion”
Modern English
English
consternation
“sudden anxiety, alarm, or dismay”