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astonishing

American  
[uh-ston-i-shing] / əˈstɒn ɪ ʃɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing astonishment or surprise; amazing.

    an astonishing victory; an astonishing remark.
astonishing British  
/ əˈstɒnɪʃɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing great surprise or amazement; astounding

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • astonishingly adverb
  • astonishingness noun

Etymology

Origin of astonishing

First recorded in 1520–30; astonish + -ing 2

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.

Vietnam's astonishing economic progress over the past 30 years has won it admiration around the world.

From BBC

On top of that, there was an astonishing scrum to try to get in, with many turned away - even heads of state.

From BBC

“The direction is not surprising. The magnitude is totally astonishing,” said Dimitris Valatsas, chief economist at Aurora Macro Strategies, a global risk consulting firm.

From The Wall Street Journal

We’ve all watched Indiana’s ascent for two years now, that thrilling 11-2 campaign in 2024, but the summiting is hard to process, this astonishing climb by one of college football’s most misbegotten programs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Watching an American actor speak fluently in another language shouldn’t be so astonishing.

From Salon

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.