consternation

WOTD - 5 December 2009    

English

Etymology

From Latin cōnsternātiō.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˌkɒn.stəˈneɪ.ʃən/
• (US) enPR: ʹkŏn.stər'nā.shən, IPA: /ˌkɑn.stɚˈneɪ.ʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

consternation (uncountable)

1. Amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement; dismay.
   • ?, Chuck Klosterman,

     It was probably worth four millennia of consternation and regret.

   • The Awakening, Kate Chopin,

     "Out!" exclaimed her husband, with something like genuine consternation in his voice.

   • 2003, Terrance Dicks & Barry Letts, Deadly Reunion, chapter 17

     Their audience had been listening in increasing consternation.

Translations

amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay

Bulgarian: смайване (bg), ужас (bg) Croatian: preneraženost (hr) f. Danish: bestyrtelse (da) c. Finnish: tyrmistys (fi) French: consternation (fr) f., sidération (fr), accablement (fr), prostration (fr) German: Bestürzung (de) f., Fassungslosigkeit (de) f. Hebrew: תַּדְהֵמָה, בִּלְבּוּל, חֲרָדָה, פַּחַד Hungarian: megdöbbenés (hu), szörnyűlködés (hu) Italian: costernazione (it) f.

Korean: 대경실색 (ko) (大驚失色, de gyeong.sils'aek) Latin: cōnsternātiō (la) f. Manx: ard-yindys (gv) m. Polish: konsternacja (pl) f. Romanian: consternație (ro) f., consternare (ro) f. Russian: ужас (ru) m., оцепенение (ru) n., испуг (ru) m. Scottish Gaelic: maoim (gd) f. Spanish: consternación (es) f., abatimiento (es), postración (es)