There are certain words in English, as well as the other languages I speak with varying degrees of fluency, that I find absolutely irresistible.
Be it the sound or the meaning, I fall in love with them and, even if it’s not a very commonly used word and I don’t often get a chance to use it myself, my inner linguist rejoices every time I encounter one of my favourites in conversation or writing.
So I thought I’d like to share these beloved lexical gems of mine with you.
And the word I’d like to start with is gobsmacked. It’s pronounced /ˈɡɒbsmækt/ and means so surprised or shocked that you can’t speak.
This UK slang word is made up of gob, meaning mouth, and the past participle of the verb smack, meaning hit.
Here’s an example of how it’s used:
I was absolutely gobsmacked when a distant relative I’d never met had left me a fortune.
Hope you like this word as much as I do. And even if you don’t, try to memorise and use it in conversation – that’ll make you sound more native-like.
