astonishing 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈstä-ni-shiŋ How to pronounce astonishing (audio)
Definition of astonishingnext
1
as in surprising
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness gave us the astonishing news she was getting married

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in amazing
causing wonder or astonishment an astonishing view of the Grand Canyon that few tourists get to see

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

astonishing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of astonish
as in stunning
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected the news that you and she broke up absolutely astonishes me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 astonishing
Adjective
An astonishing cast—Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, and Ben Whishaw among them—guides us through this moral quagmire as opinions diverge wildly and no easy answers are offered. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026 Over the centuries, mathematicians, political scientists, and reformers have devised an astonishing variety of voting systems in hopes of breaking Condorcet’s impasse. — Alex Stone, Quanta Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
Less than a month after astonishing the world with its solution to the long-standing Navier-Stokes problem, OpenAI has released 722 maths papers, proving or disproving problems across numerous fields from algebraic geometry to number theory. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026 Nordstrom has really sweet jewelry pieces at not-astonishing price points. — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for astonishing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for astonishing
  1. surprising
  2. amazing
  3. stunning
  4. startling
  5. wonderful
  6. shocking
  7. miraculous
  8. incredible
Adjective
  • The sommelier was knowledgeable and provided us with pairings that spanned traditional offerings like cheeses, as well as some surprising additions like home fries and oxtail.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The combination of our three creative personas is surprising.
    — Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of surprising
Adjective
  • The all-metal chassis opens up to reveal a spacious keyboard, responsive touchpad, and a full 3K OLED screen with amazing True Black 1000 color quality and brightness.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026
  • There’s been a lot of amazing disability representation on Dancing With the Stars.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of amazing
Verb
  • Footage of the fight shared online showed Williams punching Colón in the back of the head in the seventh round, apparently stunning him.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of stunning
Adjective
  • Miller was a startling minus-37 in plus-minus ratio for the game.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • At the Shrine, though, each song was still a startling feat of storytelling — a raw wound that somehow hadn’t healed at all.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • Their sorrowful slow-dance, at first with the air and then with each other, set to the ensemble evoking the crooning of a record player, is just wonderful.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
  • There is a wonderful offhand quality to their scenes together.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Verb
  • Stevenson sprinted into the end zone for a 48-yard score as the clock expired, shocking the entire Soldier Field crowd as the Bears were only up 20-14.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • While hundreds of thousands of people marched peacefully, pockets of violence erupted, shocking the country, as protesters smashed shopfronts and set Limoges Town Hall on fire.
    — Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • Senior backup quarterback Max Cutforth entered the game in Madsen’s absence and led the Broncos on a miraculous, back-and-forth comeback.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Jones later threw an interception in the end zone from the Georgia 3, ending any chance for a miraculous comeback with five minutes to go in the third.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of miraculous
Adjective
  • Achieving incredible data transmission speed The researcher fabricated the device using a 300-millimeter silicon-on-insulator manufacturing process.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • This year’s incredible class of awardees includes Jason Bolden, Kellon Deryck, Molly Greenwald, Chris Horan, Amy Komorowski, Thuy Nguyen, Law Roach, and Trish Summerville.
    — InStyle, InStyle, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of incredible

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Cite this Entry

“Astonishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astonishing. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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