astonish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
astonishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
astonished,
past participle, past
-
astonishing
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
See surprise.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
astonishsimple
-
astonishessimple
-
have astonishedperfect
-
has astonishedperfect
-
am astonishingprogressive
-
are astonishingprogressive
-
is astonishingprogressive
-
have been astonishingperfect progressive
-
has been astonishingperfect progressive
Past
-
astonishedsimple
-
had astonishedperfect
-
was astonishingprogressive
-
were astonishingprogressive
-
had been astonishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of astonish
First recorded in 1525–35; Middle English astonyen, astonen, probably from unattested dialectal Old French astoner, Old French estoner, from unattested Vulgar Latin extonāre, for Latin attonāre “to strike with lightning,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1, at- at- + tonāre “to thunder”; extended by -ish 2, perhaps reflecting unattested Anglo-French astonir, from dialectal Old French; see thunder
Explanation
Things that might astonish you: the discovery of life on another planet, a death-defying performance, and the number of dinosaurs a six-year old child can name. To astonish is to amaze and astound. Remember that astonish means more than surprised. It carries with it a feeling of being truly impressed. Astonish derives from the Latin tonare 'thunder.' When you are astonished, you're thunderstruck. If you plan to astonish someone, you might say before hand, "Wait until you see this. It's going to knock your socks off."
Vocabulary lists containing astonish
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Investment in artificial intelligence continues to astonish amid a technological arms race.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025
No matter the general state of the project she was in, Smith never failed to illuminate, astonish and entertain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2024
She is now 95 and widowed, and her positivity and determination continue to astonish.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
But what would astonish — and mystify — earlier generations of U.S.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 27, 2021
Samuel said, “Most people don’t read the details. It’s the details that astonish me. And Abel had no children.”
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Throughout Mr. Stob’s narrative, their success astonishes onlookers and converts skeptics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
"Even today, the story of my father and my mother, while giving me much pain, astonishes me still," Blouin said.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2025
“I’d like to do something with them like the canvases of the sunflowers because it astonishes me that no one has done them as I see them.”
From New York Times ● May 11, 2023
“It astonishes me that no American male singer sings with a full voice anymore. Where have all the tenors gone?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2022
Knowing that they'll grow older as time passes, they'll become old the way Gramps was, with gray hair and a tremble in his step, so much love still in their hearts—this astonishes me.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
Isaiah Berlin called Alexander Herzen “a Russian Voltaire,” who astonished his 19th- century audiences with a “prodigal opulence of intellect.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Dudamel opened with a Latinized version of Strauss’ “Tritsch-Tratsch Polka,” with which he once astonished the Viennese at their traditional New Year’s concert, and repeated Romero’s “Fuga.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
First reported by Derry Now, external, Laura said doctors were astonished when she was born with the condition in 1998.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Fedorova's employers said this week they were astonished to learn of the expulsion order, which they said amounted to "a particularly serious infringement of freedom of expression".
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
The hens were so fat, Liyana felt astonished they could fly.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence have been matched by an astonishing decline in student learning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
The film recounts French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s astonishing 1974 stunt, in which he and a small band of co-conspirators secretly rigged a cable between the towers, allowing Petit to walk high above lower Manhattan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Her interest was sincere, astonishing and made for very long meetings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Only eight weeks ago, before his astonishing run to the last four at the All England Club, he was ranked outside the top 100.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
It is astonishing to think how much a few months can change a person.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
