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
One such outburst took place in 1933, when observers in Europe watched an astonishing 500 shooting stars streak across the sky each minute. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026 The latter’s spread in Look Magazine (displayed for crowds at the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow) showcases a Roomba-like vacuum and other astonishing appliances that seem to work by themselves. — Los Angeles Times, 7 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
  • Unexpected jewelry — bold, unconventional pieces that add a surprising twist and personality to any look.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • But going back to that opening paragraph, Bodega lives up to its namesake by offering surprising variety.
    — Brendan Hay, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of surprising
Adjective
  • That’s from interaction with amazing creatives, amazing writers who have different perspectives.
    — Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Everything about the show was amazing and just a joyous occasion and one that will go down in music history.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 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
  • Bragg poeticized his regionally predictable subjects with startling particularity.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This opens the story up to startling confessional interactions, remarkable archive footage and a high-stakes present day search.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • The pom-pom sandals at Givenchy were wonderful, fun, unexpected and exactly what fashion lovers are looking for from a spring runway show.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Expect to see rare bottles pulled from the shelves and all manner of weird and wonderful concoctions offered up from the menu and from their encyclopedic knowledge of drinks.
    — Condé Nast, cntraveler.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Verb
  • The run of recent incidents is shocking even those on the inside.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Philadelphia began the season 9-19, shocking much of the baseball world considering how great their roster is.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • But this success, of course, has not happened in a miraculous silo.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • My dad found the blog of a man who claimed to cure his Stage 4 lung cancer with a regimen of fenbendazole, a miraculous recovery that stumped his oncologists.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of miraculous
Adjective
  • It’s crafted by these incredible artists and craftsmen who build the world with their own hands.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Ditka died Friday at age 86, and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh both recalled incredible stories about the Chicago Bears legend.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 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 15 Oct. 2026.

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