Synonyms

astound

American

[uh-stound] / əˈstaʊnd /

verb (used with object)

to overwhelm with amazement; astonish greatly; shock with wonder or surprise.

adjective

Archaic. astonished; astounded.

astound British

/ əˈstaʊnd /

verb

(tr) to overwhelm with amazement and wonder; bewilder

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See surprise.

Other Word Forms

astoundment noun

Etymology

Origin of astound

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English astoun(e)d, past participle of astonen, variant of astonyen “to thunder.” See astonish

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.

You want to believe that some of the astoundingly unpleasant people are putting on an act so they can get on TV.

From The Wall Street Journal

As the relatively sensible one, Gill, a constant companion to Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, as in “Who,” is wonderful being astounded or upright.

From Los Angeles Times

“The progress of Chinese AI over the past 12-18 months has been nothing short of astounding, and we expect the narrative to only improve from here,” the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal

The two lingered like new friends wanting to get acquainted, swimming around me with slow but powerful undulations, their grace astounding.

From Literature

But there is one traditional responsibility of local government where the recent progress is nothing short of astounding.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023