sidérer

to astound

verb see-deh-REH Rare

Also means

to stun

Usage Note

Sidérer conveys being struck dumb with amazement or shock — stronger than étonner (to astonish). The past participle sidéré is frequently used as an adjective: j'étais sidéré ('I was gobsmacked'). The word is informal-to-standard register and very common in spoken French.

Examples

"La nouvelle m'a complètement sidéré."

Natural Translation

The news completely astounded me.

Literal Translation

The news me has completely astounded.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Silent Letters: The CaReFuL Rule

Final consonants in French are silent by default — except C, R, F, L. The CaReFuL rule, the silent -e, the plural-s trap, and liaison, explained simply.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French False Friends: 25 Faux Amis to Avoid

French false friends look like English words but mean something else: actuellement is not actually, sensible means sensitive. Here are 25 faux amis to avoid.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Aller + Infinitive: The Easy French Future

Form the French near future in seconds: conjugate aller in the present and add an infinitive. Learn futur proche rules, negation, pronouns, and when to use it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read