Astonished
/əˈstɒnɪʃt/
adjectiveBeginnerCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Feeling or showing great surprise or wonder.
/əˈstɒnɪʃt/
adjectivepositiveBeginner
General
Greatly surprised or impressed; amazed.
She was astonished by the news.
💡 Simply: Very surprised.
More Examples
2
He looked astonished at the sight.
How It's Used
Everyday Conversation
"I was astonished by the beauty of the sunset."
Literature
"The audience was astonished by the magician's incredible trick."
From Middle English *astonien, from Old French estonner, from Vulgar Latin *exstonare, from Latin ex- 'out' + tonare 'to thunder'. Originally meaning 'to stun with thunder', it evolved to mean 'to amaze or surprise greatly'.
The word's usage has remained largely consistent since its adoption into English, consistently denoting a strong feeling of surprise and wonder.
Memory tip
Think 'a stone' - something that can suddenly impress you.
Practice
Base: astonish
astonishedastonishtastonished
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written