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) (smajvane), ужас (bg) (užas)
• 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 (užas), оцепенение (ru) n (ocepenenije), испуг (ru) m (ispug)
• Scottish Gaelic: maoim (gd) f
• Serbo-Croatian: preneraženost (sh) f
• Spanish: consternación (es) f, abatimiento (es), postración (es)