Has anyone else heard the term 'gagged' as slang for being too shocked to speak?

[Redronin1989]

I was watching a YouTube video earlier and a young lady mentioned how she was 'gagged' by what someone had said to her. It really took me by surprise!

[captured_prize]

I've never heard the word 'gagged' used in this way. It sounds so strange being used in this context.

[Redman]

I have never heard this before. It may be a code to indicate that they are interested in bondage. Now I'm going to adopt the phrase in my day-to-day life!


As a side note, I've heard the term "gagging for (x)" as a way of saying they are excited about whatever they were talking about.

[Detective-Gag]

I have heard it used in such a way before…and I can sort of wrap my head around it.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing…I gagged!”

…kind of like that.

Like a synonym for dazed, stupefied, or stricken (ooh wah ah ah ah!).

At first, I thought it meant that they were repulsed…that it was the typical dictionary alternative for retching (“the smell made them want to gag”)

But sure enough, half the time, it was more like they were trying to express incredulity.

I think it’s one of those fringe cases where a word slowly starts to take on additional meanings because of slightly misconstrued perceptions of what it means.

[Terry]

Not heard that before, no

[ExcessivelyCurious]

Yeah, not especially common but I've heard it occasionally. I think it is stemming from the disgust/retch meaning and just mutated into a more generic surprise. I think it's definitely more common in certain subcultures/groups/scenes so not too surprising you wouldn't have heard it used like that.

I have also heard "gagging for (x)", more common in Britain I think but still don't hear it often.

[Kyle]

I'm guessing she meant she couldn't speak out of shock? I sort of see the reasoning, but I've never heard it used that way before. I might consider it a slang term used in this way.

[mserika]

I have never seen the term used in that context before, so of course I looked up the term online, and apparently the term is related to the queer space and has been around for quite a while?

There is an Urban Dictionary entry from 2017, and this article from 2020 that I found referring to the context of the word being used as a slang. To quote the second article:

A gag is the physical emotion that comes from being shocked. For example, when someone does something that is so amazing it leaves you gasping with your jaw dropped and you’re left speechless, you’re gagged.

#TIL

[DeeperThanRed]

From what I can tell, yes, it's a common use in slang, especially among gay people. Definitely makes it hard to use the search function in certain places but it's not like that's a new problem.