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

: consternation

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

Synonyms

• amazement
• admiration
• wonderment

Examples 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

Dershowitz during the impeachment trial offered an expansive defense of presidential power that provoked astonishment among Democrats. —Reuters, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025

Despite its tattered state, the sofa's unique silhouette and designer pedigree drew astonishment on Reddit. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025

His eyes carry the astonishment of a man who never wanted to be right. —Alaa Alqaisi august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025

Bare feet on grass, and astonishment at my little apple tree. —Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

astonish + -ment

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1a