astonished
Americanadjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of astonished
First recorded in 1510–20, for an earlier sense; astonish + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective sense; astonish + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Explanation
If you are astonished, you're feeling the emotional punch of a huge surprise. If you've lived in the city your whole life, the first night you spend in the desert staring at billions of stars will leave you astonished. Astonished is the adjective form of the verb astonish, which comes from old Anglo-Norman for a blow to the head. We use it now for much more positive feelings, when we are stunned by awe and admiration, and not stunned from being hit in the head with a bat! Synonyms are amazed and astounded.
Vocabulary lists containing astonished
Emotions on Display
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In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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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.
Today I am astonished at the extraordinary skill of the Major League players—at the gold-glove fielding, the 100-mile-an-hour pitching, the power hitting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
"In a move that astonished all those present, the judge recorded in the official court minutes that the court had appointed a lawyer from the Lawyers' Syndicate to represent the defence," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Then, in a scene in which Misty demands she be allowed to finish an audition, she flashes into someone else in a bit of pure craft that leaves those in the room astonished.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
First reported by Derry Now, external, Laura said doctors were astonished when she was born with the condition in 1998.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
A curious naturalist traveling from the Galápagos to England—a Darwin in reverse—might have been astonished to find that each region had its own species of cow.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
