Astonish


to fill with sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder; amaze:
her easy humor and keen intellect astonished me.
contemporary examples

to question that which seems to have ceased forever to astonish us.
to dream a dream: georges perec’s night visions lauren elkin december 25, 2013

they frighten a few people (mostly each other), are rude to bystanders and astonish a cleaning lady.
p.j. o’rourke picks his favorite travel books p. j. o’rourke november 11, 2011

it may astonish readers to know, then, that it was jews that invented our idea of heaven.
how jews invented heaven lisa miller march 27, 2010

his book should astonish both liberals and conservatives—and for very different reasons.
george bush’s book will offend the right matt latimer november 9, 2010

historical examples

the germans know, and that is the card with which they are going to astonish the world.’
greenmantle john buchan

but this does not astonish us when we understand the difficulties which he was obliged to solve.
ancient man hendrik willem van loon

so i sing like a bateau full of voyageurs, and the dark echo, and that vild-cat must be astonish.
the skeleton on round island mary hartwell catherwood

but after what he had heard nothing could astonish him any more.
the secret agent joseph conrad

perhaps the musical genius which his father will not bring before the world in himself may one day astonish that world in sigmund.
the first violin jessie fothergill

there is another manifestation of his power which will astonish those who consider it.
a dish of orts george macdonald

verb
(transitive) to fill with amazement; surprise greatly
v.

c.1300, astonien, from old french estoner “to stun, daze, deafen, astound,” from vulgar latin -extonare, from latin ex- “out” + tonare “to thunder” (see thunder); so, literally “to leave someone thunderstruck.” the modern form (influenced by english verbs in -ish, e.g. distinguish, diminish) is attested from c.1530.

no wonder is thogh that she were astoned [chaucer, “clerk’s tale”]

related: astonished; astonishing; astonishingly.

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    to fill with sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder; amaze: her easy humor and keen intellect astonished me. contemporary examples nevertheless, i am astonished at the percentage of people who find the kimmel videos morally unproblematic. why jimmy kimmel’s lies matter sam harris november 18, 2013 i was astonished by his work and very grateful […]

  • Astonishingly

    causing or surprise; amazing: an astonishing victory; an astonishing remark. contemporary examples israelis are astonishingly unified in defense of their country’s flotilla interception. bibi’s unlikely new fan club ethan perlson june 4, 2010 she is smiling as he raises the baby above his head; the child is astonishingly calm. joe walsh vs. tammy duckworth: yelps, […]

  • Astor

    john jacob, 1763–1848, u.s. capitalist and fur merchant. nancy (langhorne) [lang-hawrn,, -ern] /ˈlæŋˌhɔrn,, -ərn/ (show ipa), viscountess, 1879–1964, first woman member of parliament in england. contemporary examples soon i discovered that the private mrs. astor was a maverick. brooke astor’s estate is auctioned, and a friend recalls her fondly barbara goldsmith september 28, 2012 the […]

  • Astound

    to overwhelm with amazement; astonish greatly; shock with wonder or surprise. archaic. astonished; astounded. contemporary examples but it continues to astound me that there are troves of archives that have not been looked at. what lincoln could teach fox news scott porch november 5, 2014 the depth of rage, animus and violence that was directed […]

  • Astounded

    to overwhelm with amazement; astonish greatly; shock with wonder or surprise. archaic. astonished; astounded. contemporary examples king reminisced about his convention and was astounded at how little bad-blood lingered. the bizarro world of iowa’s gop convention ben jacobs june 22, 2014 all the old dinosaurs, who were astounded by the numbers involved. the end is […]


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