astounding
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- astoundingly adverb
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.
"You had an astounding mortality rate of about 30 percent per voyage," Quezon said.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
"In addition, these materials exhibit astounding quantum properties, such as quantum coherence at room temperature," explains Alpichshev, whose research group studies complex phenomena in advanced materials.
From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026
The tactical skill with which our aviators and missile defenders are using advanced U.S. tech is astounding.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
With 67,000 subscribers in 166 countries and growing, the Lim sisters are mixing Gen Z humor and exuberance with astounding erudition to bring ballet to a new generation and fire up older, longtime fans.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
By the end of the season Salatin’s animals will have transformed his grasses into an astounding amount of food.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
