astonishment
Americannoun
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overpowering wonder or surprise; amazement.
He looked with astonishment at his friends.
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an object or cause of amazement.
noun
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extreme surprise; amazement
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a cause of amazement
Other Word Forms
- superastonishment noun
Etymology
Origin of astonishment
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.
That feeling of a parent’s pleasant astonishment at how their children carried themselves became a part of the making of the Aselton-Duplass family’s “Their Town” as well.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
"I had seen the fjord and notable mountain features in the satellite images, but being there in person filled me with astonishment at what had happened."
From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026
When Anthony Bourdain traveled to Iran in 2014, he admitted his astonishment.
From Salon • Jan. 22, 2026
In Panama City, the Mulino administration watched the deal talks in astonishment because licenses granted by Panama don’t allow the participation of foreign state-owned firms.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026
I watched in astonishment as she liberally spread butter over the bread.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
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.
