astonishing

adjective

as·​ton·​ish·​ing ə-ˈstä-ni-shiŋ 

: causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder : surprising

an astonishing discovery

astonishingly

ə-ˈstä-ni-shiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of astonishing

• surprising
• startling
• amazing
• stunning
• shocking

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

Kelly makes frequent cracks about the astonishing sequence of events that landed him in his current peacocking profession. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

The Jules Rimet Trophy — named after the former FIFA president following his death in 1956 — had an astonishing history. — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Because of this tremendous heat, hydrogen atoms in the inner core of stars are zipping along at incredible speeds and slamming into each other with astonishing violence. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 19 July 2026

Two groups later, Burns capped off an astonishing birdie-birdie-birdie finish for the American by holing out from a greenside bunker on the 18th for his 62 on the par-70 Royal Birkdale links. — ABC News, 17 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of astonish

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for astonishing

• admonishing