different between flabbergastation vs flabbergast

English

Etymology

flabbergast +? -ation

Noun

flabbergastation (uncountable)

1. (colloquial) Bewildered shock or surprise; the state or condition of being flabbergasted.
   • 1856. Punch, Vol. 31. The Punch Office. page 240.

     We scarcely remember to have ever seen any respectable party in a greater state of flabbergastation than the writer of some observations in Mb. Cobden's Russo-Manchesterian organ, the Morning Star, of Thursday, December the fourth.

   • 1832-1837. Honoré de Balzac. Droll Stories: Volume 2. Kessinger Publishing. page 65

     Upon a sign, she takes ahold of two cords of black silk, to which were attached loops, through which she passes her arms, and in the twinkling of an eye is translated by two pulleys from her bed through the ceiling into the room above, and the trap closing as it has opened, left the old duenna in a state of great flabbergastation, when, turning her head, she neither saw robe nor woman, and perceived that the women had been robbed.

   • 1918. Shaw Desmond. The Soul of Denmark. C. Scribner's Sons. page 96.

     I can recall my flabbergastation when in the house of a Jutlander of the middle class I heard him holding fluent converse with his children in some heathen dialect...

   • 1944. Field and Stream: Volume 49. CBS Publications. page 90.

     Winchester .22 Automatic which we saw demonstrated (to our utter flabbergastation) in a local hardware store by a visiting Winchester representative.

   • 1998. Newcomer's Guide to the Afterlife: On the Other Side Known Commonly as "The Little Book". Daniel Quinn, Tom Whalen. Random House Digital.

     Ignoring the other's utter flabbergastation, Matthews turned and graciously introduced him to me.

2. (archaic, colloquial, humorous) The act of confounding or bewildering.

References

English

Etymology

The origin of the verb is uncertain; possibly dialectal (Suffolk), from flabby or flap (“to strike”) + aghast. The word may be related to Scottish flabrigast (“to boast”) or flabrigastit (“worn out with exertion”).

The noun is derived from the verb.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?flæb?(?)???st/
• (General American) enPR: fl?b??r-g?st', IPA^(key): /?flæb???æst/
• Hyphenation: flab?ber?gast

Verb

flabbergast (third-person singular simple present flabbergasts, present participle flabbergasting, simple past flabbergasted, past participle flabbergasted or flabbergast)

1. (transitive) To overwhelm with bewilderment; to amaze, confound, or stun, especially in a ludicrous manner. [from late 18th c.]

   Synonyms: flabbergaster; see also Thesaurus:surprise

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

flabbergast (countable and uncountable, plural flabbergasts)

1. (countable) An awkward person.

   Synonyms: dork, dweeb, geek; see also Thesaurus:dork

2. (uncountable) Overwhelming confusion, shock, or surprise.

   Synonyms: astonishment, astoundedness, awe, dumbfoundedness, flabbergaster, flabbergastation, flabbergastment, stupefaction; see also Thesaurus:confusion, Thesaurus:surprise

Alternative forms

Translations

References

Further reading

• John Ogilvie and Charles Annandale, editors (1883) The Imperial Dictionary of the English Language, new edition, London: Blackie and Son; New York, N.Y.: The Century Company, OCLC 1013401246, page 285.
• “FLABBERGAST, v.” in Joseph Wright, editor, The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume II (D–G), London: Published by Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1900, ?OCLC, page 376, column 1.
• Chrysti the Wordsmith [pseudonym; Chrysti M. Smith] (2006) Verbivore’s Feast: Second Course: More Word & Phrase Origins, Helena, Mont.: Farcountry Press, ?ISBN, page 126.