astonish
verb (used with object)
to fill with sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder; amaze.
was astonishing
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past progressiveof astonish.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
In some ways, it was astonishing that Rose was even in contention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
But Eisenberg did say that his loyalty to Rockin’ Grandma’s and its employees was astonishing: “You can’t script anything like that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026
What was astonishing was just how quickly it unraveled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025
It was "astonishing that the company failed to recognise the breach for five months", President Lee Jae Myung said, adding that the "scale of the damage is massive".
From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025
It was astonishing to see how angry Cersei could wax over accusations she knew perfectly well to be true.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
