consternation
noun
Pearl Buck
Did you know?
If you’ve ever been flummoxed, befuddled, or even fuddled, you know a thing or two about consternation—but perhaps not all of it. Consternation and confusion are not synonymous, though it’s 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 “much to,” as in “much to their consternation, their teacher announced a pop quiz as soon as class started.” People also often “express” or “show” their consternation in various ways, whether with furrowed brow, mouth agog, or assorted mumblings and grumblings—visual and audible clues that they are working out just what to do next after being consternated.
Examples of consternation in a Sentence
Karen Breslau et al., Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2001
In the grimy market-places where so-called friendly intelligence services do their trading, tip-offs, like money, are laundered in all sorts of ways … . They can be blown up so as to cause consternation or tempered to encourage complacency.
—John le Carré, Granta 35, Spring 1991
The King was relaxing; his face had softened. Awful, to have to banish this hard-earned peace, burden him with a fresh worry. But better he should hear it from his loyalest baron, his own brother, than have the news blurted out to him by some idiot agent avid to cause a maximum of consternation.
—Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, 1990
The candidate caused consternation among his supporters by changing positions on a key issue.
Much to her parents' consternation, she had decided to not go to college.
Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026
Inglewood, California — FIFA is facing backlash for sky-high prices and fees for the upcoming World Cup, causing consternation among fans and providing fuel to critics who accuse soccer's world governing body of greed.
—Amanda Arden, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Much to the consternation of the fan base, that distinction belongs to the 49ers based on being one of the first teams to play two international games in the same season (Week 1 in Melbourne, Australia, and Week 11 in Mexico City).
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
And while the memorandum of understanding that includes that guarantee — signed by CFP leaders long before the Irish were excluded last December but brought back into public focus amid the fallout — caused some consternation among ACC coaches here, Bevacqua considers that old news.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for consternation
Cite this Entry
“Consternation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consternation. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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consternation
noun
