astonish
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Related Words
See surprise.
Other Word Forms
- astonisher noun
- superastonish verb
Etymology
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 -ish 2, perhaps reflecting unattested Anglo-French astonir, from dialectal Old French; thunder
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.
Her commitment to her singular vision never wavers, but as an actor, Glowicki is truly astonishing.
From Los Angeles Times
Some of that breadth is seen at the beginning in some astonishing newsreel footage from the era, which segues into Jacir’s establishing story threads.
From Los Angeles Times
What they were doing with these oafs, I do not know, but it was astonishing.
From Los Angeles Times
But its pullback follows an astonishing gain of more than 135% from its Liberation Day trough to its February peak, adding around $2.3 trillion in market value along the way.
From Barron's
Now, a decade and a half later, it’s kind of astonishing to see how much more nuanced things have become — blends that actually account for texture, flavor, and how you’ll use them.
From Salon
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.
