astound

1 of 2

verb

as·​tound ə-ˈstau̇nd How to pronounce astound (audio)
astounded; astounding; astounds

transitive verb

: to fill with bewilderment or wonder
The unusual surgical techniques illustrated … will astound even the most bemused readers.Alan T. Marty

astound

2 of 2

adjective

archaic
: overwhelmed with astonishment or amazement : astounded
Choose the Right Synonym for astound

surprise, astonish, astound, amaze, flabbergast mean to impress forcibly through unexpectedness.

surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

Examples of astound in a Sentence

Verb The magician will astound you with his latest tricks. What astounds me is that they never apologized.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
What the Rohs find on their travels — elevators, indoor plumbing, flat-screen TVs and Americans who are friendly rather than murderous — astounds them. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023 The success astounded American officials with experience in the region. Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2023 Be ready to be astounded by the extraordinary potency of this top-shelf cannabis, which delivers a euphoric high that is completely legal. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Sep. 2023 Kansas City’s one-year contract that ended All-Pro DL Chris Jones’ left one former NFL exec and agent astounded How long the Chiefs can keep this up is a mystery, but the AFC’s Dynasty on the Plains continue to pose large problems for NFL rivals. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023 Even with the glitches, using a chatbot still astounds most people who manage to put in perfect prompts to get wildly in-depth instant answers. Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 15 Sep. 2023 Be prepared to be astounded by the euphoric high this top shelf cannabis generates because to its higher potency, which is entirely legal. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023 The latter astounded the Osbournes with her knowledge of true crime. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2023 Over the past few years, people who pay attention to research on artificial intelligence have been astounded by the pace of developments, both the rapid gains in AI’s capabilities and the accumulating risks and dark sides. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Aug. 2023
Adjective
After all that food, this nest of noodles in a tendon-dashi broth still manages to astound. Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 13 Sep. 2023 Honda versus Toyota is an obvious matchup, with our range-topping contenders offering many of the same safety and convenience features, similar storage space, and standard all-wheel drive, wrapped up in blunt-nosed boxy designs that will neither offend nor astound. Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 30 Aug. 2023 And the show only gets better with each passing episode, finding a balance in tone and thematic material while also continuing to astound viewers with impressive visuals. Robert English, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'astound.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably in part derivative of astound entry 2, in part back-formation from astounded (Middle English astondid, attested once), doubled past participle of astonen, astonien "to stun, daze, surprise" — more at astonish

Adjective

Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen "to stun, daze, surprise" — more at astonish

First Known Use

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of astound was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near astound

Cite this Entry

“Astound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astound. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

astound

verb
as·​tound
ə-ˈstau̇nd
: to fill with puzzled wonder

More from Merriam-Webster on astound

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