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.

Example Sentences

It set him on the path to attending the selective Cheltenham Grammar School; from there, even more astonishing to the author and his parents, he went to Oxford.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When the agreement was signed in 2015, few predicted how quickly Chinese clean tech manufacturers would achieve astonishing scale, particularly in solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Neither seems to notice that the most astonishing, extraordinary fact of life is our existence.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile in Ukraine, drone warfare is evolving with astonishing speed and lethality.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s even more astonishing when you realize Hawke has been planning to play Hart for over a decade.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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