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
In a recent appearance on the Katie Miller Podcast — hosted by the wife of Stephen Miller, who currently serves as homeland security advisor to the White House — Kennedy expressed astonishment that the president is even alive.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 Jan. 2026
As their conversation unfolds, Lomax’s astonishment that such a very young lady of high birth and seemingly no particular education would take an interest in affairs of state increases.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
To our astonishment, what had seemed during fieldwork to be a single massive pile of ash was in fact a layered series of burning events.
—Elizabeth Sawchuk, The Conversation, 1 Jan. 2026
Express your astonishment at being selected and your heartfelt desire to go for it.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
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Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 Jan. 2026
As their conversation unfolds, Lomax’s astonishment that such a very young lady of high birth and seemingly no particular education would take an interest in affairs of state increases.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
To our astonishment, what had seemed during fieldwork to be a single massive pile of ash was in fact a layered series of burning events.
—Elizabeth Sawchuk, The Conversation, 1 Jan. 2026
Express your astonishment at being selected and your heartfelt desire to go for it.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 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 27 Jan. 2026.
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