astonishment

[ uh-ston-ish-muhnt ]

noun

1. overpowering wonder or surprise; amazement:

   He looked with astonishment at his friends.

2. an object or cause of amazement.

astonishment

/ əˈstɒnɪʃmənt /

noun

1. extreme surprise; amazement
2. a cause of amazement

Other Words From

• super·as·tonish·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of astonishment¹

First recorded in 1570–80; astonish + -ment

Example Sentences

In one, she clasps her hands — one diamond-laden, of course — to her mouth in astonishment.

From Los Angeles Times

“I put out some feelers, and to my astonishment, they said, ‘Yeah, come along,’ ” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Against the odds, the American seized the biggest opportunity of his fledgling career, raising his arms aloft as he crossed the line to the astonishment of all, with Kerr and Ingebrigtsen in his rear-view.

From BBC

The revelations were splashed across the front pages of Thursday's French press, with commentators expressing astonishment that such a respected figure had, as Le Parisien put it, fallen from his pedestal.

From BBC

Keely Hodgkinson stood with her eyes and mouth wide open in astonishment, hands fixed either side of a head dizzied by two laps that had changed everything.

From BBC

Related Words

• amazement
• awe
• bewilderment
• confusion
• consternation
• wonderment