Standard Lemma guide

dumbfound

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌdʌmˈfaʊnd/
  • UK: /ˈdʌm.faʊnd/
  • US: /ˈdʌm.faʊnd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D AH1 M F AW0 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To confuse and bewilder; to leave speechless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

be a mystery or bewildering to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This beats me!
  • Got me--I don't know the answer!
  • a vexing problem
  • This question really stuck me

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perplex, vex, stick, get, puzzle, mystify, baffle, beat, pose, bewilder, flummox, stupefy, nonplus, gravel, amaze

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: confuse, throw, fox, befuddle, fuddle, bedevil, confound, discombobulate

Narrower terms: stump, mix up, riddle, elude, escape

History

Etymology

Blend of dumb + confound.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: շշմեցնել (ššmecʻnel) — to confuse and bewilder
  • Armenian: ապշեցնել (apšecʻnel) — to confuse and bewilder
  • Bulgarian: смайвам (smajvam) — to confuse and bewilder
  • Bulgarian: слисвам (slisvam) — to confuse and bewilder
  • Danish: forbløffe — to confuse and bewilder
  • Danish: lamslå — to confuse and bewilder
  • Dutch: verstomd doen staan — to confuse and bewilder
  • Finnish: mykistää — to confuse and bewilder
  • Finnish: lyödä ällikällä — to confuse and bewilder
  • French: abasourdir — to confuse and bewilder
  • Galician: abouxar — to confuse and bewilder
  • Ido: surprizegar — to confuse and bewilder
  • Italian: sbigottire — to confuse and bewilder
  • Latin: obstupefaciō — to confuse and bewilder
  • Māori: whakahanepī — to confuse and bewilder
  • Polish: odbierać mowę — to confuse and bewilder
  • Polish: odebrać mowę — to confuse and bewilder
  • Portuguese: pasmar — to confuse and bewilder
  • Russian: ошеломлять (ošelomljatʹ) — to confuse and bewilder
  • Russian: ошарашивать (ošarašivatʹ) — to confuse and bewilder
  • Spanish: dejar boquiabierto — to confuse and bewilder
  • Spanish: dejar pasmado — to confuse and bewilder