Synonym Chooser

How does the verb astonish contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of astonish are amaze, astound, flabbergast, and surprise. While all these words mean "to impress forcibly through unexpectedness," astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

When is amaze a more appropriate choice than astonish?

While the synonyms amaze and astonish are close in meaning, amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

When is it sensible to use astound instead of astonish?

While in some cases nearly identical to astonish, astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

Where would flabbergast be a reasonable alternative to astonish?

In some situations, the words flabbergast and astonish are roughly equivalent. However, flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

In what contexts can surprise take the place of astonish?

The meanings of surprise and astonish largely overlap; however, surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of astonish Orlando Sentinel Florida sports fans more familiar with FCS events like Feast on the 50 (mark your 2025 calendars for Oct. 9) who haven’t attended Sideline Wine & Dine will be astonished by the comparative intimacy. Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025 While there, the delegates were given a tour of some of the Vatican’s collection and were astonished to see treasured relics stored thousands of miles away from the communities who once used them. Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 29 May 2025 From that first puck drop, Jackson was astonished by the speed and intensity of a playoff game compared with a regular-season game. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 15 May 2025 Ōshima was astonished when his own wife, Akiko Koyama, expressed an interest. Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for astonish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for astonish
Verb
  • In The 2025 Playoffs Cason Wallace didn’t amaze anyone with his playoff debut last season.
    Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Among all, what truly amazed the 2022 U.S. Open champion was the 14-time PGA Tour winner, Scheffler's sheer dominance.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • But none of them have surprised me with their brilliance.
    Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • Today's teen slang might seem like complete gibberish, but you may be surprised by how many terms echo phrases from the past.
    Annabelle Canela, Parents, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • When Anderson heard that his friend was assaulted, the musician was stunned.
    Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2025
  • Seth Jones scored a goal and an assist, and Dmitry Kulikov and Brad Marchand scored 3:46 apart in the second period to stun the rabid crowd.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • The near miss shocked the country, but polling showed sharp partisan divides even in the case of the near assassination of a presidential candidate.
    Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
  • Last season, Forest had a small core of players who almost shocked European football by qualifying for the Champions League.
    Paul Taylor, New York Times, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • Part of what startled Fitzgerald’s generation about their studio experience was how near at hand the real bad guys could be.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • The warning comes about two weeks after a Florida woman was killed when her canoe startled an 11-foot alligator at Lake Kissimmee, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
    Mark Price, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Astonish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astonish. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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