Meanings
nounconsternation (countable and uncountable, plural consternations)
plural consternations
- countableuncountableAmazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement; dismay.
Their audience had been listening in increasing consternation.
2003, Terrance Dicks, Barry Letts, chapter 17, in Deadly Reunion3 more examples
"Out!" exclaimed her husband, with something like genuine consternation in his voice.
1899, Kate Chopin, The AwakeningIt was probably worth four millennia of consternation and regret.
2006 February 27, Chuck Klosterman, “Invention's New Mother”, in Esquire, archived from the original on 20 Jul 2019And privately, some European officials are sharing mounting consternation over the U.S. conduct of the Iran war that they say with each passing week is moving further away from the international rules of engagement and values that underpin the NATO alliance.
2026 April 5, Howard LaFranchi, “Trump’s war in Iran puts new strain on alliances. Why this time it’s different.”, in The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Massachusetts: Christian Science Publishing Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Apr 2026Synonyms: dismay, alarm, bewilderment, dread · Antonyms: equanimity, calm, serenity, satisfaction
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAmazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement; dismay.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinconsternātiō
- Frenchconsternation
- Englishconsternation
From French consternation, from Latin consternātiō. By surface analysis, consternate + -ion.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἔκπληξις
- ἔκπληξις (ékplēxis)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Bulgarian смайване, ужас
- смайване (smajvane)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- ужас (užas)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Catalan consternació, abatiment
- consternacióamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- abatimentamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Chinese Mandarin 驚愕 /惊愕
- 驚愕 /惊愕 (jīng'è)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Czech konsternace
- konsternaceamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Danish bestyrtelse
- bestyrtelseamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Dutch consternatie, verbijstering
- consternatieamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- verbijsteringamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Esperanto konsterno
- konsternoamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Finnish tyrmistys
- tyrmistysamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
French consternation, sidération
- consternationamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- sidérationamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- accablementamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- prostrationamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
German Bestürzung, Fassungslosigkeit
- Bestürzungamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- Fassungslosigkeitamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Greek τρόμος, ανησυχία
- τρόμος (trómos)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- ανησυχία (anisychía)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Hebrew תַּדְהֵמָה, בִּלְבּוּל
- תַּדְהֵמָהamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- בִּלְבּוּלamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- חֲרָדָהamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- פַּחַדamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Hungarian megdöbbenés, szörnyülködés
- megdöbbenésamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- szörnyülködésamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- megrökönyödésamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Irish anbhá
- anbháamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Italian costernazione
- costernazioneamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Japanese 驚愕, 狼狽
- 驚愕 (kyōgaku)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- 狼狽 (rōbai)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Korean 대경실색
- 대경실색 (daegyeongsilsaek)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Latin consternātiō
- consternātiōamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Māori pororaru, pōraruraru
- pororaruamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- pōraruraruamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Norwegian Bokmål bestyrtelse
- bestyrtelseamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Polish konsternacja
- konsternacjaamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Portuguese consternação
- consternaçãoamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Romanian consternație, consternare
- consternațieamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- consternareamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Russian у́жас, оцепене́ние
- у́жас (úžas)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- оцепене́ние (ocepenénije)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- испу́г (ispúg)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Scottish Gaelic maoim
- maoimamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Spanish consternación, abatimiento
- consternaciónamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- abatimientoamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- postraciónamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Swedish bestörtning, häpnad
- bestörtningamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
- häpnadamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Turkish dehşet
- dehşetamazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Yiddish קאָנסטערנאַציע
- קאָנסטערנאַציע (konsternatsye)amazement or horror; terror, combined with amazement; dismay
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with consternation
informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
consternation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consternation
MLA
“consternation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consternation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “consternation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/consternation.
Source: consternation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.