sidérer

to astound

verb see-deh-REH Rare

Also means

to stun

Usage Note

Sidérer conveys being struck dumb with amazement or shock — stronger than étonner (to astonish). The past participle sidéré is frequently used as an adjective: j'étais sidéré ('I was gobsmacked'). The word is informal-to-standard register and very common in spoken French.

Examples

"La nouvelle m'a complètement sidéré."

Natural Translation

The news completely astounded me.

Literal Translation

The news me has completely astounded.

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