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astonishment

[ uh-ston-ish-muh nt ]

/ əˈstɒn ɪʃ mənt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR astonishment ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

overpowering wonder or surprise; amazement: He looked with astonishment at his friends.

an object or cause of amazement.

Origin of astonishment

First recorded in 1570–80; astonish + -ment

OTHER WORDS FROM astonishment

su·per·as·ton·ish·ment, noun

Words nearby astonishment

aston, aston dark space, astonied, astonish, astonishing, astonishment, astor, astoria, astound, astounding, astr-

Example sentences from the Web for astonishment

To his astonishment, the driver found the gate open; guards already had abounded the border post.

Iran Says It’s Under Attack by ISIS |Jassem Al Salami |October 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
What astonishment that such beauty urges me into bed for a nightlong sweaty roll in tangled sheets.

Our Doomed Love Affair with Summer |P. J. O’Rourke |August 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
His friend stares in astonishment at Soyinka, who seems unperturbed.

Nigeria’s Larger-Than-Life Nobel Laureate Chronicles a Fascinating Life |Chimamanda Adichie |August 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The frustrating thing here is the astonishment over it all, over the Iggy Azalea phenomenon.

Stop Being So Surprised By the Rise of Iggy Azalea |Kevin Fallon |May 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Now in her 70's, living in Ontario, Feld Carr tells the story with a delightful sense of astonishment that it ever took place.

The Woman Who Saved Syria’s Jews |Emma Beals |March 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
A glance at my watch showed me, to my astonishment, that was tea-time.

Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 158, March 17, 1920 |Various
Nay”—as the youth looked up in astonishment—“nay, answer me not, for I know what thou wouldst have.

Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine |Lewis Spence
Klootz, to his astonishment, now found himself in a large entrenched camp, where the Dervishes were living in perfect safety.

Ten Years' Captivity in the Mahdi's Camp 1882-1892 |F. R. Wingate
Mr. Hearty gazed at the man, his eyes dilated in astonishment.

Adventures of Bindle |Herbert George Jenkins
At the first shock came Ibn's two thousand warriors from their concealment, and the invaders fell back in astonishment.

Edmund Dulac's Picture-Book for the French Red Cross |Edmund Dulac

British Dictionary definitions for astonishment

astonishment

/ (əˈstɒnɪʃmənt) /

noun

extreme surprise; amazement

a cause of amazement