consternation
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\n \n Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2024 is:\n \n
\n \n\n consternation • \\kahn-ster-NAY-shun\\ • noun
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Consternation is a formal word that refers to a strong feeling of surprise or sudden disappointment that causes confusion.
\n\n// The candidate caused consternation among his supporters by changing positions on a key issue.
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\u201cThe incarcerated [Freedom] Riders\u2019 new freedom song, which they sang incessantly to the consternation of their guards, was \u2018Buses Are a Comin\u2019,\u2019 and the freedom buses continued to roll into Mississippi until mid-August.\u201d \u2014 Raymond Arsenault, John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community, 2024
\n \n \n\n Did you know?
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If you\u2019ve ever been flummoxed, befuddled, or even fuddled, you know a thing or two about consternation\u2014but perhaps not all of it. Consternation and confusion are not synonymous, though it\u2019s understandable that they are sometimes confused. Consternation refers not to confusion, but to a feeling of amazement or dismay that can lead to confusion, or otherwise hinder or stop someone in their tracks. And much like dismay, consternation is often used in constructions starting with \u201cmuch to,\u201d as in \u201cmuch to their consternation, their teacher announced a pop quiz as soon as class started.\u201d People also often \u201cexpress\u201d or \u201cshow\u201d their consternation in various ways, whether with furrowed brow, mouth agog, or assorted mumblings and grumblings\u2014visual and audible clues that they are working out just what to do next after being consternated.
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