astonish
[ uh-ston-ish ]
/ əˈstɒn ɪʃ /
Save This Word!
verb (used with object)
to fill with sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder; amaze: Her easy humor and keen intellect astonished me.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of astonish
First recorded in 1525–35; Middle English astonyen, astonen, probably from unattested dialectal Old French astoner,Old French estoner, from unattested Vulgar Latin extonāre, for Latin attonāre “to strike with lightning,” equivalent to ex-ex-1, at-at- + tonāre “to thunder”; extended by -ish2, perhaps reflecting unattested Anglo-French astonir, from dialectal Old French. See thunder
synonym study for astonish
See surprise.
OTHER WORDS FROM astonish
as·ton·ished·ly, adverbas·ton·ish·er, nounsu·per·as·ton·ish, verbun·as·ton·ished, adjectiveWords nearby astonish
astomia, Aston, Aston dark space, stone's throw, a, astonied, astonish, astonishing, astonishment, Astor, Astoria, astound
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for astonish
British Dictionary definitions for astonish
astonish
/ (əˈstɒnɪʃ) /
verb
(tr) to fill with amazement; surprise greatly
Word Origin for astonish
C15: from earlier astonyen (see astonied), from Old French estoner, from Vulgar Latin extonāre (unattested) to strike with thunder, from Latin tonāre to thunder
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