astounding
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of astounding
Explanation
Astounding is an adjective that describes something bewildering, like the astounding sight of a dog walking on two legs. When something is astounding, you might find yourself unable to speak — after all, astounding comes from the Middle English word astouned, meaning "to stun." If you see something that's astounding, you might just stare and stare, speechless. Astounding also describes something so surprisingly impressive that it overwhelms, like the astounding news that you just won the lottery.
Vocabulary lists containing astounding
30 GRE Words Beginning with "A"
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Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865)
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Wolf Hollow
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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.
So far, 2026 has been a year of astounding gains for many stocks of semiconductor manufacturers.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
One cup of Man Cereal has an astounding seven grams of saturated fat.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
He played on most days, for an astounding six sets over three hours, with little regard to the weather.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Patriots goalie Christopher Cortes had a heroic performance, stopping an astounding 24 shots — the last coming one second before the final horn.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 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.
