astonishing

adjective

as·​ton·​ish·​ing ə-ˈstä-ni-shiŋ How to pronounce astonishing (audio)
: causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder : surprising
an astonishing discovery
astonishingly adverb

Examples of astonishing in a Sentence

He showed an astonishing lack of concern for others. The truck can hold an astonishing amount of stuff. She gave an astonishing performance in her first film.
Recent Examples on the Web Riddle me this: Why have increases in food prices been in line with inflation from the 1980s until the Biden administration took over? Food prices increased by 11.4 percent in 2022, an astonishing jump that inflicted deep harm on the budgets of millions of families. Robert H. Bork Jr., National Review, 4 Mar. 2024 News of her death triggered an astonishing social uprising, with women burning their headscarves on the street and many voicing calls not simply for reform of the regime, but for a wholesale defenestration of the ruling clerics. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 The collection depicts millions of stars clustered at galaxies' cores in near- and mid-infrared light, serving as the latest example of Webb's astonishing capabilities to reveal distant, mysterious corners of our universe. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 Along Highway 41, a route to the park often taken by those from Fresno and Southern California, an astonishing 5 to 6 feet of snow could fall at the entrance to the park, around Mariposa Grove. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Beneath the surface, in realms devoid of sunlight, the cold, high-pressure environment unveils an astonishing diversity of ecosystems and animals, each uniquely adapted to thrive in extreme conditions. Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 To non-coders, the fact that A.I.s can produce code might seem astonishing. Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 The Explosion Of New Data Digital marketing platforms continue to advance at an astonishing rate, and organizations increasingly rely on the data and analytics pulled from these platforms to make informed business decisions. Jonathan Kaufman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Evans guided Paramount back on top with an astonishing run of crowd-pleasing hits like True Grit (1969) and Love Story (1970) and critical and commercial masterpieces like The Godfather (1972) and Chinatown (1974), one of which is certainly the best film of the decade. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'astonishing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of astonish

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of astonishing was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near astonishing

Cite this Entry

“Astonishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astonishing. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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