astounding

adjective

as·​tound·​ing ə-ˈstau̇n-diŋ 

: causing astonishment or amazement

an astounding revelation

astoundingly

ə-ˈstau̇n-diŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of astounding

• amazing
• surprising
• startling
• stunning
• shocking
• astonishing

Examples of astounding in a Sentence

He ate an astounding amount of food.

the astounding sight of their cat returning home after having been missing for two years

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, in a redemption as astounding as his rise, Morvan is back in the running for the 2026 Grammys as the only person in Recording Academy history nominated after a prior revocation. —Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

The community solidarity shown in Minneapolis has been nothing short of astounding—and ICE has struggled to circumvent it. —David Ostendorf, Time, 29 Jan. 2026

One female tagged off the coast of Russia, named Varvara, swam an astounding 22,511 kilometers, or nearly 14,000 miles, in a round-trip that lasted roughly six months. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

The results can seem alternately astounding and amateurish. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of astound entry 1

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for astounding

• abounding
• compounding
• confounding
• expounding
• foregrounding
• impounding
• propounding
• rebounding
• resounding
• surrounding
• bounding
• founding