French word

éberluer

Pronunciation

IPA/ebɛʁlɥe/

Meaning

  • verbamaze

Example

Cette blague a éberlué tout le monde.

This joke amazed everyone.

Illustration for éberluer (amaze)

More examples

Le spectacle m'a éberlué.

The show stunned me.

Core concept

A sudden shock that leaves its witnesses speechless.

Similar words

surprendre: Surprise someone with an unexpected event or outcome.
étonner: Astonish someone through something sudden or strange.
abasourdir: Stun someone with surprise, leaving them unable to speak.
stupéfier: Stupefy someone with overwhelming surprise, dulling their senses.

Definition in French

Surprendre au point de laisser quelqu'un sans voix.

Word origin

Éberluer descends from Middle French esberluer, probably formed with es- and the expressive stem berl-, whose deeper origin is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • Éberluer takes a direct object, as in éberluer quelqu'un, rather than a preposition.

Opposites

Word lists with this word