astonish
uh-STON-ish
/əˈstɒn.ɪʃ/
To surprise or impress someone greatly with something unexpected or remarkable.
Implies feeling sudden wonder or admiration alongside shock, usually in response to an impressive achievement or sight.
The story behind the word. From Vulgar Latin 'extonare', combining 'ex-' (out) and 'tonare' (to thunder). It entered Middle English via Old French 'estoner', picturing a person so shocked they feel as though Jupiter's thunderbolt hit them.
Word relationships
- amaze: 'Amaze' leans slightly more toward wonder, whereas 'astonish' emphasizes the sudden shock of surprise.
- astound: 'Astound' carries a higher intensity of shock than 'astonish'.
- bore: To cause disinterest rather than wonder.
- expect: To anticipate fully, eliminating all surprise.
Commonly confused with
- astound: 'Astonish' means greatly surprising, while 'astound' means overwhelmingly shocking or beyond belief.
Word family
- astonishment (noun): Great surprise or amazement.
- astonishing (adjective): Extremely surprising or impressive.
Collocations
- astonish the world
- never cease to astonish
- astonish everyone
Idioms & expressions
- leave someone astonished
Example sentences
- "It is an astonishing thing how much information can be gained by simply listening." Literature / Citation
- "The sheer speed of the vaccine's development managed to astonish even the most optimistic researchers." Scientific Breakthrough
Memory hook
Think of an ASTROnaut finding a TON of gold on Mars—that would ASTONISH anyone! Hit by a thunderbolt of surprise.
When not to use
Do not use for negative physical shocks like being punched or hearing a sudden loud clap of noise (use 'startle' or 'stun').
Fun facts
- In the 14th century, 'astonished' meant literally stunned senseless by physical violence or lightning.
Related words
Explore more words
behold, breathtaking, consternation, nonplussed, confounded, sublime
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