consternation Hear it!

consternation definition

con·ster·na·tion (kän′stər nā′s̸hən)

noun

great fear or shock that makes one feel helpless or bewildered

Etymology: L consternatio < consternare, to terrify < com-, intens. + base akin to L sternax, headstrong, restive < IE base *ster-, rigid, stiff > stare, strenuous

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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