astonished

1 of 2

adjective

as·​ton·​ished ə-ˈstä-nisht 

: feeling or showing great surprise or wonder : astounded entry 1, amazed entry 1

… she awoke the next day astonished to find that she suffered no ill effects.

—Jean T. Barrett

heard the news with an astonished smile

astonished

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of astonish

Synonyms of astonished

Adjective

• amazed
• stunned
• shocked
• surprised
• horrified

Examples of astonished in a Sentence

Adjective

was astonished at seeing a cow wandering down Main Street

grandparents astonished at how much their grandchildren had grown in the past year

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Further stories illuminate emotional realities burrowed deep within enormously likeable characters, often moving the reader (or this reader anyway) to astonished tears. — Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026

One that draws more approving thumbs-ups, creates more astonished grins, or pulls more phones from pockets for impromptu photographs and video—especially in stunning Verde Ermes metallic paint. — Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026

Live, the 11-year-old actor shared his astonished reaction to getting the note. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Dec. 2025

Under Kidman's Practical Magic 2 post, fans in the comments expressed excitement about the forthcoming sequel to the witchy cult classic — which was based on the 1995 Alice Hoffman novel of the same name — while others seemed astonished that filming for the movie has already finished. — Nigel Smith, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of astonish

First Known Use

Adjective

1716, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for astonished

• admonished