astonishment
noun
as·ton·ish·ment
ə-ˈstä-nish-mənt 
1
a
: a feeling of great surprise and wonder : the state of being astonished : amazement
The garden's beauty filled me with astonishment.
b
2
: something that astonishes : a cause of amazement or wonder
Everything that he had seen so far … had been so astonishing that he began to wonder whether there could possibly be any more astonishments left.—
Roald Dahl
Roald DahlExamples of astonishment in a Sentence
The garden's beauty filled me with astonishment.
A crowd watched in astonishment as he jumped from the bridge.
They discovered to their astonishment that their car had been stolen.
Much to the astonishment of her friends and family, she left school to pursue her acting career.
Recent Examples on the Web
Bare feet on grass, and astonishment at my little apple tree.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 July 2025
In an era of deepfakes and algorithmic sleight-of-hand, authentic astonishment is more valuable than ever.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Her field notes are animated by sympathetic amusement, a tactful astonishment at the sheer evolutionary peculiarity of this creature.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 13 June 2025
Among many of those who worked alongside him at UEFA, there is astonishment at the way Infantino first seized power and quickly learned to embrace it.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
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Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 July 2025
In an era of deepfakes and algorithmic sleight-of-hand, authentic astonishment is more valuable than ever.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Her field notes are animated by sympathetic amusement, a tactful astonishment at the sheer evolutionary peculiarity of this creature.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 13 June 2025
Among many of those who worked alongside him at UEFA, there is astonishment at the way Infantino first seized power and quickly learned to embrace it.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
Cite this Entry
“Astonishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astonishment. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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