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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
But what astounded me about Croatia was the versatility of it. Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2024 The results astounded me and raised deep questions about ethics, the authenticity of media artifacts, and the personal meaning behind handwriting itself. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Running With Humanoid Robots Fridman also mentioned the rise of the robot – an interface that has a lot of potential to trick and astound humans, and to pass all manner of physical Turing tests. John Werner, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024 The series stars Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf, a revolutionary neurologist who advocates for his patients at Bronx General Hospital, where his unconventional methods often astound — and at times perplex — his colleagues. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for astound 

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 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

astound

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

More from Merriam-Webster on astound

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