astonishing

[uh-ston-i-shing]

adjective

1. causing astonishment or surprise; amazing.

   an astonishing victory; an astonishing remark.

astonishing

/ əˈstɒnɪʃɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing great surprise or amazement; astounding

Other Word Forms

• astonishingly adverb
• astonishingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of astonishing¹

First recorded in 1520–30; astonish + -ing ²

Example Sentences

It is astonishing to me, to see what it means to speak out about genocide.

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The first half is an autobiography of his pre-Supreme Court years, full of affection and with some truly astonishing stories.

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The contest for the top four places in the eight-team group was blown wide open by South Africa's astonishing comeback against India on Thursday, led by Nadine de Klerk's unbeaten 84 from number eight.

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Perched in his art-filled château in the south of France, the British expatriate spent years hurling invectives at, falling out with or blatantly undermining an astonishing number of people.

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“Sèvres Extraordinaire!” approaches its subject—pioneering, astonishing ceramic confections that are neither purely functional nor purely decorative but sui generis art, or “sculpture”—in the broadest sense.

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Related Words

• amazing 
• astounding 
• bewildering 
• breathtaking 
• extraordinary 
• impressive 
• marvelous 
• miraculous 
• spectacular 
• staggering 
• startling 
• striking 
• stunning 
• wonderful 
• wondrous