Flabbergasted. Gobsmacked. Perplexed. A Mini Guide to Looking Shocked in English.

Based on the latest lesson in my “Learn English with Abby” Insta-series, here’s a quick breakdown of those three fantastic words and how to use them. All of them signal a moment of surprise — just different flavours of it. Gobsmacked and flabbergasted are the funky, flamboyant ones, yet still completely mainstream. Perplexed is your safe, everyday option when you want something simple and clear.

Flabbergasted
A very expressive, dramatic word meaning “deeply shocked or amazed,” but still absolutely mainstream and widely used.

I was flabbergasted when they approved the project in five minutes.

Gobsmacked
A strong British word meaning “stunned by surprise,” often with a humorous edge. Very common in the UK, well-understood elsewhere.

She was completely gobsmacked when they announced her name.
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Perplexed
A polite, softer word for “confused and unsure what to think,” often used when someone is trying to figure something out.

​I was perplexed by the instructions—they didn’t match the diagram.