Word · CEFR C2 · Frequency #13832
consternation
惊愕；惊恐；惊慌失措
A feeling of great shock, fear, or dismay that makes one unable to think clearly.
- 1.
Amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement; dismay.
惊愕或恐惧,使人困惑并无法思考；惊恐与惊愕交织；惊惶。
惊愕或恐惧,使人困惑并无法思考；惊恐与惊愕交织；惊惶。；惊愕；恐怖；惊惶失措
In use
The sudden announcement of the layoffs caused consternation among employees.
To her consternation, she realized she had left her passport at home.
The unexpected power outage threw the entire office into consternation.
in consternation
表示状态或方式
He stared in consternation at the mess.
他惊愕地盯着那一片狼藉。
with consternation
表示伴随情感
She watched the accident with consternation.
她惊恐地看着那场事故。
cause/create consternation
表示引发惊愕
The announcement caused widespread consternation.
这个公告引起了广泛的惊愕。
express/show consternation
表示表达情感
They expressed their consternation at the decision.
他们对这个决定表示惊愕。
Common mistakes
He consternated at the news.He was filled with consternation at the news.
误将名词用作动词，常与形容词相混淆。
I have consternation about the result.I feel consternation at the result.
搭配错误，常用 'feel consternation' 或 'in consternation'。
Her consternation was obvious from her concentration.Her consternation was obvious from her expression.
拼写相似词混淆，'consternation' 与 'concentration' 意义不同。
Connections
Collocations
- cause consternation
- 引起惊慌
- The sudden announcement caused widespread consternation.突然的公告引起了广泛的惊慌。
- express consternation
- 表示惊愕
- Many expressed consternation at the decision.许多人对这个决定表示惊愕。
- with consternation
- 惊慌地
- He read the news with consternation.他惊慌地读着新闻。
- to one's consternation
- 使某人惊慌的是
- To his consternation, the door was locked.使他惊慌的是，门锁上了。
- great consternation
- 极大的恐慌
- The fire caused great consternation among the residents.火灾在居民中引起了极大的恐慌。
- public consternation
Learner notes
Memory Tip
联想记忆：词中藏着stern（严厉的），见到严厉脸色吓得惊愕失措——consternation 惊惶。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：formal prose、news reporting、literary narrative consternation 是比较正式的书面词，通常表示震惊、惊恐或惊慌失措的情绪，多用于新闻报道和文学作品中；日常口语里较少见，口语中更常说 shock 或 dismay。
Grammar Note
不可数名词，常与介词 in 或 with 连用。
Pronunciation & Spelling
All six words rhyme with consternation because they share the stressed sound /eɪʃən/ and the -ation spelling. Beware lookalikes such as constitution /ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃən/, which begins similarly but has a different final sound; also note that the ‘ster’ in consternation is unstressed /stə/, not /stɜːrn/.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, OCTANOVE, WIKTIONARY.