astound
Americanverb (used with object)
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astounds,
present (3rd person singular)
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astounded,
past participle, past
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astounding
present participle
adjective
verb
Synonym Usage
See surprise.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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astoundsimple
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astoundssimple
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have astoundedperfect
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has astoundedperfect
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am astoundingprogressive
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are astoundingprogressive
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is astoundingprogressive
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have been astoundingperfect progressive
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has been astoundingperfect progressive
Past
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astoundedsimple
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had astoundedperfect
-
was astoundingprogressive
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were astoundingprogressive
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had been astoundingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
Astound means to amaze. Savants, or those with extreme brain abnormalities, can astound people by their ability to play Beethoven sonatas on the piano after having heard them only once. Astound has its roots in the verb astonish, originally meaning to stun, and the idea of surprise remains wrapped up in the word. Things like over-the-top fireworks, believable magicians, and the miracle of life tend to astound. But if you lick all your favorite cookies to keep anyone else from taking them––your rudeness could astound as well.
Vocabulary lists containing astound
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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Ten Words from New York Times History - The Kitchen Debate - July 24, 1959
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Week 2: Discoveries
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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.
See Examples For:
For now, Chambliss is content piling up plays that astound football fans across the country—except for those who know him best.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026
Train punctuality in Germany is appalling - worse than in the UK, which will astound weary British commuters.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2025
And many of these events occurred relatively recently, showing that the field of physics continues to astound us.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 27, 2023
The pusillanimity of American corporations on this subject continues to astound.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2021
You may try the recipe and astound your hosts.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
Having seen “The Drama” in theaters twice, what astounds me is witnessing the audience’s open-mindedness.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026
He added that DiCaprio "astounds – frazzled and absurd yet also sweet and even noble, he evokes Jack Nicholson in his prime".
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025
What astounds, though, are the sculpture’s extraordinary eyes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2025
What astounds me is that each month or so a manufacturer unveils a newer model that fixes tiny bugs that might have been present with an earlier model.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
That his life has been so wholly redirected astounds him.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Steve Gutshall of Murrells Inlet, was left astounded by Graham’s debate performance and felt that plenty of others were too.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
"We were astounded and overjoyed, actually," Haigwood said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
The Vibe’s cargo space astounded us at times.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
“Ten men in front of goal, aim for a nil-nil draw. That’s going to make the first round low quality. Fans are going to be astounded by how poor the soccer is.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
In the barracks facing ours there lived an elegant woman who astounded me each time I saw her.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
With hundreds of millions of dollars being pumped into the ecosystem at once, and ad-makers earning astounding sums of cash for their quick work, you’re going to get a lot of slop.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
This time, it was Los Angeles’s turn to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by doing something even more astounding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
AEW, likewise, has seen an astounding number of early deaths in its seven years of existence.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
The numbers involved in AI are truly astounding.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Twenty-nine years old, he is a slender man with delicate features, a shy, moody temperament, and astounding physical strength.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
