- present participle of astonish.
astonishing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of astonishing
Explanation
Something astonishing is astounding, staggering, stupefying, amazing, or incredible. It's not something you see every day. This is a pretty strong word. A dog shaking hands is not astonishing, but a dog calling 911 for its owner definitely is. Astonishing things are amazing; they blow your mind. When people first walked on the moon, that was astonishing. Miracles are astonishing. If you say, "Holy cow! I can't believe what I'm seeing," you're probably seeing something astonishing.
Vocabulary lists containing astonishing
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Nothing But the Truth
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Copper Sun
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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.
In this Money Talks: Author and financial journalist Brendan Greeley tells Elizabeth Spiers about his new book, The Almighty Dollar—and the astonishing power this currency held long before the founding of the United States.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
Sloth jaws and sabertooth fangs and a truly astonishing amount of ancient vertebrae — all of it will be swaddled, catalogued and crated for the next two years.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Robinson had been ignored since 2024, including on the dismal tour of Australia, but showed England what they have been missing on an astonishing day when 16 wickets fell at Lord's.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
That gives Continental defense contractors a ringside seat to the astonishing innovation that has enabled Ukraine to survive.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
It was astonishing, really, the quality of life she was able to lead in that crippled body, and watching her during the three years of her paralysis, I made another discovery about love.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
