- present participle of astound.
astounding
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of astounding
Explanation
Astounding is an adjective that describes something bewildering, like the astounding sight of a dog walking on two legs. When something is astounding, you might find yourself unable to speak — after all, astounding comes from the Middle English word astouned, meaning "to stun." If you see something that's astounding, you might just stare and stare, speechless. Astounding also describes something so surprisingly impressive that it overwhelms, like the astounding news that you just won the lottery.
Vocabulary lists containing astounding
30 GRE Words Beginning with "A"
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Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865)
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Wolf Hollow
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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.
Dr. Shaywitz, a physician-scientist, is the founder of Astounding HealthTech, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and an adjunct fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025
Astounding stat: through the first two weeks, the Colts haven’t punted.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025
"Astounding, I could do that for free - just jiggle or stir the regular bag in the mug and it halves the brewing time", he told the BBC.
From BBC • Sep. 14, 2023
Astounding action sequences and gripping character development confidently carry the plot.
From Salon • Jul. 10, 2021
Following are the charges: Stopping my heart from beating when I saw the smooth edges in Astounding Stories, and making my heart miss five beats when I saw "The Earthman's Burden" illustrated by Paul!
From Astounding Stories, August, 1931 by Various
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.
