astound
Americanverb (used with object)
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astounds,
present (3rd person singular)
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astounded,
past participle, past
-
astounding
present participle
adjective
verb
Synonym Usage
See surprise.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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astoundsimple
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astoundssimple
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have astoundedperfect
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has astoundedperfect
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am astoundingprogressive
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are astoundingprogressive
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is astoundingprogressive
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have been astoundingperfect progressive
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has been astoundingperfect progressive
Past
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astoundedsimple
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had astoundedperfect
-
was astoundingprogressive
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were astoundingprogressive
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had been astoundingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of astound
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English astoun(e)d, past participle of astonen, variant of astonyen “to thunder.” See astonish
Explanation
Astound means to amaze. Savants, or those with extreme brain abnormalities, can astound people by their ability to play Beethoven sonatas on the piano after having heard them only once. Astound has its roots in the verb astonish, originally meaning to stun, and the idea of surprise remains wrapped up in the word. Things like over-the-top fireworks, believable magicians, and the miracle of life tend to astound. But if you lick all your favorite cookies to keep anyone else from taking them––your rudeness could astound as well.
Vocabulary lists containing astound
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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Ten Words from New York Times History - The Kitchen Debate - July 24, 1959
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Week 2: Discoveries
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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.
See Examples For:
For now, Chambliss is content piling up plays that astound football fans across the country—except for those who know him best.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026
Train punctuality in Germany is appalling - worse than in the UK, which will astound weary British commuters.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2025
That would be the goal, of course, but the best viral content bubbles up unpolished from the ether, slightly awkward and just novel enough to astound.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
And many of these events occurred relatively recently, showing that the field of physics continues to astound us.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 27, 2023
If Darwin were alive today the insect world would delight and astound him with its impressive verification of his theories of the survival of the fittest.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Having seen “The Drama” in theaters twice, what astounds me is witnessing the audience’s open-mindedness.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026
He added that DiCaprio "astounds – frazzled and absurd yet also sweet and even noble, he evokes Jack Nicholson in his prime".
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025
Drifting between boiling anger and crushing regret, O’Brien’s delivery of a monologue to the ghost of Rocky astounds for its insides-bearing rawness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2025
What astounds me is that each month or so a manufacturer unveils a newer model that fixes tiny bugs that might have been present with an earlier model.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
Most of them are a good decade younger than me, and this astounds me.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
"We were astounded and overjoyed, actually," Haigwood said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
The Vibe’s cargo space astounded us at times.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
As the relatively sensible one, Gill, a constant companion to Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, as in “Who,” is wonderful being astounded or upright.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026
I am sometimes astounded by people’s lack of empathy.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 23, 2025
"A great number," said the astounded Mrs Phelps.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
This astounding dilemma is brought to you by the Angels, and their combination of a consistent focus on affordability and a consistently bad team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
But doctors were ultimately able to save her leg – something she calls "astounding".
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
OCI has an astounding $553 billion backlog as of three months ago, over half of which is a single multiyear contract with OpenAI.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
From the beginning of 2025 through this March, “derivative income” funds, which include these options-driven strategies, have taken in an astounding $71 billion of new money, according to Morningstar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
So when Lawrence unveiled yet another audacious scheme in 1952—this one for a neutron-producing cyclotron code-named J-16 and bearing an astounding price tag of $30 million—-Smyth was distinctly unmoved.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
