awestruck
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of awestruck
First recorded in 1625–35
Explanation
To be awestruck is to be full of complete wonder, amazement, or dread for something. Swimming with a humpback whale or being near a tornado would leave most people awestruck. When you're awestruck, you're amazed. Awestruck literally means to be struck with awe — a feeling of profound amazement. You can be awestruck by something surprising, wonderful, or even scary. Imagine the breathless feeling you’d get swimming next to a whale! That’s awestruck. This is a very powerful feeling that would never apply to everyday things. Being awestruck leaves you stunned. You can't quite believe what you're seeing or hearing.
Vocabulary lists containing awestruck
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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 can tell he loves his work and despite having pored over these documents for years, he's still awestruck by their content.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Oftentimes, we sit on our balcony, awestruck at our luck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
Nonetheless, seasoned veterans can’t help but be awestruck by the lightning in Misiorowski’s arm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
When filmmakers harness real, creative ways to bring their visions to life over technological shortcuts that diminish the skill and value of visual effects artists, that’s when movies leave us awestruck.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026
Beside him, Harison murmured in the same awestruck voice: “That’s something, all right.”
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
