astonished

American

[uh-ston-isht] / əˈstɒn ɪʃt /

adjective

filled with sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder; amazed.

Before the eyes of the astonished crowd, the magician pulled off everything from simple card tricks to the disappearance of his lovely assistant.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of astonish.

Other Word Forms

astonishedly adverb
unastonished adjective

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.

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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.

We have to get access to units occasionally for pest control and I’m always astonished with what’s inside.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

I was astonished that he totally pulled it off and he’s such a true filmmaker.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The development is expected to displace 130 bat roosts but Reform UK county councillor, Vernon Smith, said he was astonished by the cost of the project.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

"It goes without saying that I'm very happy, and very proud, but at the same time astonished."

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Visitors in those early years who stopped to ask directions to the American capital were often astonished when told they were standing squarely in its center.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023