amazement
Americannoun
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overwhelming surprise or astonishment.
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Obsolete.
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stupefaction; frenzy.
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noun
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incredulity or great astonishment; complete wonder or surprise
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obsolete bewilderment or consternation
Etymology
Origin of amazement
Explanation
Amazement is what you feel when you're shocked or astonished by something. When you feel amazement, you can't quite believe what you're seeing or hearing. To amaze someone is to shock, surprise, and astonish them. Amazement is the emotion produced by truly unusual and surprising things. A juggler throwing around fire can produce amazement. A child reciting thousands of digits of Pi will create amazement. Parents feel amazement at the birth of their children. This is a strong feeling resulting from incredible events. No one feels amazement about average, boring stuff.
Vocabulary lists containing amazement
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 2
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"The Tempest," Vocabulary from Acts 1 and 2
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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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.
To the amazement of some, the crash site was bulldozed within days, which experts say destroyed potentially crucial evidence.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
To her amazement, close to 200 people came with more than 180 cakes devoured.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
But most of the photos shared capture the blimp with striking-but-identical sky-blue backsplashes, and yet the amazement never ceases.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025
To our amazement, when we entered the room, Linda opened her eyes and said, “Ana, I’m so glad you’re here! How’s school?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025
And, to the utter amazement of the assembled family, Beth walked deliberately down the garden, through the hedge, and in at the Laurences’ door.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
