Dumbfounded
/ˌdʌmˈfaʊn.dɪd/noun
So shocked or surprised that one is unable to speak.
Did you know?The word is a true compound of *dumb* and *found*, where *found* is an old past participle meaning “struck” or “thrown down,” so the original image is being hit silent by surprise.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
dumb
“Unable to speak; silent”
Old English
OE
findan
“To find; in related forms, to strike or come upon”
Middle English
ME
founden
“Past participle forms used in compounds with the sense of struck or overwhelmed”
17th Century
English
dumbfound
“To stupefy or leave speechless”
19th Century
English
dumbfounded
“Overwhelmed with astonishment and unable to speak”