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
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
Roald DahlExamples 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
Johansson even joked in her musical monologue that castmember Sarah Sherman was leaving, to Sherman's mock astonishment.
—Eric Deggans, NPR, 18 May 2025
In a perfect world for Robertson, the astonishment and bewilderment Knies had at Robertson’s game would be enough to push Robertson into the playoffs.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Afterward, his performance was met with astonishment amongst the judges.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2025
At a news briefing later that day, Mayor Karen Bass expressed astonishment about Padilla’s treatment.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
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Eric Deggans, NPR, 18 May 2025
In a perfect world for Robertson, the astonishment and bewilderment Knies had at Robertson’s game would be enough to push Robertson into the playoffs.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Afterward, his performance was met with astonishment amongst the judges.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2025
At a news briefing later that day, Mayor Karen Bass expressed astonishment about Padilla’s treatment.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
Cite this Entry
“Astonishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astonishment. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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