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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Game two was astonishing, and a full reckoning of the faults that existed in the defending champs’ armor. Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025 After 23 years and an astonishing 4,953 episodes, the show reaches its finale Friday as the sports media industry’s most prolific on-air talent incubator. Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 21 May 2025 This gem detailing the ancient underground aqueducts of Rome gives both a visual and historical account of man’s insatiable appetite to overcome nature and create astonishing engineering marvels to uplift the human condition. Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 May 2025 Rossi won an astonishing 89 MotoGP races and seven championships in a 17-year career. Michael Frank, Robb Report, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for astonishing

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Astonishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astonishing. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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