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astounding

American  
[uh-stoun-ding] / əˈstaʊn dɪŋ /

adjective

  1. capable of overwhelming with amazement; stunningly surprising.

astounding British  
/ əˈstaʊndɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing amazement and wonder; bewildering

"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

Other Word Forms

  • astoundingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of astounding

First recorded in 1580–90; astound + -ing 2

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.

How Chisora survived to hear the final bell was astounding.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

“Charter is enjoying an astounding turnaround driven by its bundled streaming packages,” MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett wrote at the time.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 7, 2026

"It is really the speed and scale of these representations that is astounding, driving much of the online confusion of what has been targeted, or casualty counts for instance," said Ayad.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

A 2024 Microsoft study found that “customers are facing an astounding 600 million attacks daily.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

It is a truly astounding sight when every tree in a forest becomes individual; where formerly had sprawled a seamless cloak of green there now stood a million bright colors.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

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.