adj · 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈθʌn.də.stɹʌk/
US:/ˈθʌn.dɚ.stɹʌk/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:TH AH1 N D ER0 S T R AH2 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
1927-29 — Mohandas Gandhi, An Autobiography or The Story of my Experiments with Truth, Part V, The Fast, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai 'Unless the strikers rally,' I declared to the meeting, 'and continue the strike till a settlement is reached, or till they leave the mills altogether, I will not touch any food.' The labourers were thunderstruck.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adjective satellite
Meaning 2
as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a circle of policement stood dumbfounded by her denial of having seen the accident
From thunder + struck. Compare synonymous and cognate Latin attonitus. Also compare typologically Ancient Greek ἐμβρόντητος (embróntētos) (< βροντή (brontḗ)) (whence Greek εμβρόντητος (emvróntitos)); Czech ohromený (< ohromit), Bulgarian като ударен от гръм (kato udaren ot grǎm), Russian как гро́мом поражённый (kak grómom poražónnyj) (akin to гром (grom)). See also German wie vom Donner gerührt.
Across languages
Translations
18 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
շանթահար
(šantʻahar)
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Bulgarian:
смаян
(smajan)
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Bulgarian:
слисан
(slisan)
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Bulgarian:
като ударен от гръм
(kato udaren ot grǎm)
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
French:
stupéfié
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
French:
abasourdi
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Galician:
abraiado
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Galician:
estantío
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Galician:
apampanado
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
German:
wie vom Donner gerührt
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Greek:
κεραυνόπληκτος
(keravnópliktos)
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Greek:
εμβρόντητος
(emvróntitos)
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Ancient Greek:
κεραυνοπλήξ
(keraunoplḗx)
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Latin:
attonitus
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Norwegian:
lamslått
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Old English:
hlosniende
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Russian:
как гро́мом поражённый
(kak grómom poražónnyj)
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
Spanish:
estupefacto
— astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to be unable to speak
