thunderstrike

verb

thun·​der·​strike ˈthən-dər-ˌstrīk 

thunderstruck ˈthən-dər-ˌstrək  ; thunderstruck also thunderstricken ˈthən-dər-ˌstri-kən  ; thunderstriking ˈthən-dər-ˌstrī-kiŋ  ; thunderstrikes

transitive verb

1

: to strike with sudden and usually great wonder or surprise : astonish

—used in the passive

was thunderstruck at the news

2

archaic : to strike by or as if by lightning

… wake, man, ere God thunderstrike Mayence …

—Robert Browning

Synonyms

• amaze
• astonish
• astound
• bowl over
• dumbfound
• dumfound
• flabbergast
• floor
• rock
• shock
• startle
• stun
• stupefy
• surprise
• surprize

Examples of thunderstrike in a Sentence

everyone was thunderstruck when she quit her job without warning

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1