astound

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verb as·tound \ ə-ˈstau̇nd \

Definition of astound

transitive verb

:to fill with bewilderment or wonder

The unusual surgical techniques illustrated … will astound even the most bemused readers.
—Alan T. Marty

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Recent Examples of astound from the Web

The Rays—who now lead the Cubs 3–1 in the fourth inning—simply astound me.

— the si staff, SI.com, "Come chat with the SI MLB staff on the Fourth of July!," 4 July 2017
Wallenda and her husband come from a long-line of daredevils and circus performers, whose acts and records have astounded the world since the 1940s.

— zoha qamar, CNN, "Daredevil hangs by her teeth over Niagara Falls, shatters new record," 16 June 2017
Glenne Headly astounded Richard Dreyfuss when the two played husband in wife in the 1995 classic Mr. Holland's Opus.

— ryan parker, The Hollywood Reporter, "Richard Dreyfuss Remembers 'Mr. Holland' Co-Star Glenne Headly: "She Was Just Perfect"," 10 June 2017
A superstar joins a championship-caliber team and wins a championship — this type of achievement should astound no one.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "Backtalk: Times readers sound off on Colin Kaepernick, the Mariners and Kevin Durant," 2 June 2017
Pandora glows at night Pandora will equally astound guests at night when its bioluminescent plants bathe the land in an ethereal glow.

— arthur levine, USA TODAY, "Disney parks begin a blockbuster summer," 26 May 2017
Suckling pig Fergus Henderson, chef of St. John’s restaurant in London, has probably been, at least on the food end of things, the star of the month’s festivities, a smiling, bespectacled presence responsible for astounding feats of carnivorousness.

— jonathan gold, latimes.com, "Jonathan Gold considers his favorite dishes from Food Bowl 2017," 26 May 2017
Murthy’s report showed that e-cigarette use among U.S. youth and young adults has increased considerably in recent years, growing an astounding 900 percent among high school students from 2011 to 2015.

— monique o. madan, miamiherald, "Former surgeon general keeps his promise, visits Pinecrest alma mater to talk e-cigarettes," 18 May 2017
How people pay exorbitant prices to watch astounds me, especially when there’s basically one team that comes to play every night.

— nick canepa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Despite its giant talents, NBA creaking with mammoth flaws," 13 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'astound.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of astound

see ²astound

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1592

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astound Synonyms

Synonyms

amaze, astonish, surprise, bowl over, dumbfound (also dumfound), flabbergast, floor, rock, shock, startle, stun, stupefy, thunderstrike

Related Words

befuddle, bewilder, blindside, blow away, confound, confuse, daze, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, jar, muddle, nonplus, perplex, shake up

Synonym Discussion of 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

astound

adjective

Definition of astound

archaic

:overwhelmed with astonishment or amazement :astounded

Examples of astound in a Sentence

The magician will astound you with his latest tricks.
What astounds me is that they never apologized.

Origin and Etymology of astound

Middle English astoned, from past participle of astonen — see astonish

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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ASTOUND Defined for English Language Learners

astound

verb

Definition of astound for English Language Learners

: to cause a feeling of great surprise or wonder in (someone)

ASTOUND Defined for Kids

astound

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verb as·tound \ ə-ˈstau̇nd \

Definition of astound for Students

astounded; astounding

:to fill with puzzled wonder

The magician will astound you.

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astound

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Recent Examples of astound from the Web

Origin and Etymology of astound

astound Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of astound

astound

Definition of astound

Examples of astound in a Sentence

Origin and Etymology of astound

ASTOUND Defined for English Language Learners

astound

Definition of astound for English Language Learners

ASTOUND Defined for Kids

astound

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