#dumbfound

唖然！ dumbfound

transitive verb To fill with astonishment and perplexity; confound. synonym: surprise.

Grammarphobia, Jan. 8, 2018

Q: The verb “dumbfound” leaves me dumbfounded. How does combining “dumb” and “found” give us a word that means to bewilder?

A: “Dumbfound” began life in the 17th century as a combination of “dumb” (speechless) and “confound” (to surprise and confuse). It was originally spelled “dumfound,” and is still sometimes seen that way.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “dumbfound” as to “strike dumb; to confound, confuse; to nonplus.”

The earliest OED example for “dumbfound” is from the Scottish author Thomas Urquhart’s 1694 translation of Gargantua and Pantagruel, a series of novels by François Rabelais:

“I beseech you never Dum-found or Embarrass your Heads with these idle Conceits.”

As for the etymology here, the verb “confound” is ultimately derived from confundere, classical Latin for to mix together, mix up, or confuse.

We lost the war Between the sun and the moon I lost the bet Between six and two

I rolled the dice It landed on five A step forward is all it takes Just enough to get rid of the stakes

Being kissed when you least expect it is underrated.