astonishing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of astonishing
Explanation
Something astonishing is astounding, staggering, stupefying, amazing, or incredible. It's not something you see every day. This is a pretty strong word. A dog shaking hands is not astonishing, but a dog calling 911 for its owner definitely is. Astonishing things are amazing; they blow your mind. When people first walked on the moon, that was astonishing. Miracles are astonishing. If you say, "Holy cow! I can't believe what I'm seeing," you're probably seeing something astonishing.
Vocabulary lists containing astonishing
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Nothing But the Truth
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Copper Sun
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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.
In this Money Talks: Author and financial journalist Brendan Greeley tells Elizabeth Spiers about his new book, The Almighty Dollar—and the astonishing power this currency held long before the founding of the United States.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
Sloth jaws and sabertooth fangs and a truly astonishing amount of ancient vertebrae — all of it will be swaddled, catalogued and crated for the next two years.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Markets have absorbed an astonishing amount of headline risk since the war with Iran began in February, and staged one of the strongest equity recoveries on record.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
"Absolutely astonishing," says Friederike Otto, professor of climate science at Imperial College London.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
But what is astonishing is not that bits of savage belief were left here and there.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
