astonishing

1 of 2

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

astonishing

2 of 2

present participle of astonish

Synonyms of astonishing

Adjective

• surprising
• startling
• amazing
• stunning
• shocking

Examples of astonishing in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Trailing 3-1 against AS Roma in Rome last week, Los Blancos scored three goals in the last eight minutes to secure an astonishing 4-3 win. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026

Your gray matter performs astonishing feats of information processing using little more than the equivalent of a relatively shiny light globe. — Mike McRae 19, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026

Sandy Scott of Scotland locked up his first PGA Tour card with an astonishing stretch toward the end of the season — a tie for fourth, runner-up, two straight wins. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

What followed was an astonishing period in which almost all British chain bookselling consolidated itself under one man. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of astonish

First Known Use

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for astonishing

• admonishing