astonish

[uh-ston-ish]

verb (used with object)

1. to fill with sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder; amaze.

   Her easy humor and keen intellect astonished me.

   Synonyms: shock, startle, astound

astonish

/ əˈstɒnɪʃ /

verb

1. (tr) to fill with amazement; surprise greatly

Other Word Forms

• astonisher noun
• superastonish verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of astonish¹

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 -ish ², perhaps reflecting unattested Anglo-French astonir, from dialectal Old French; thunder

Word History and Origins

Origin of astonish¹

C15: from earlier astonyen (see _astonied ), from Old French estoner, from Vulgar Latin extonāre (unattested) to strike with thunder, from Latin tonāre to thunder

Synonym Study

See surprise.

Related Words

• amaze 
• astound 
• bewilder 
• boggle 
• confound 
• daze 
• dumbfound 
• flabbergast 
• overwhelm 
• shock 
• startle 
• stun 
• stupefy