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

Relevance

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
Ukraine has built a defense sector at an astonishing speed and emerged as a global player in military innovation. — Thomas Nagorski, Time, 27 July 2026 Kelly makes frequent cracks about the astonishing sequence of events that landed him in his current peacocking profession. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Verb
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
  • Perhaps more surprising is that the vast majority—70%—were employed, a share that has held steady, meaning co-residency is climbing owing to growth in adults with steady jobs rather than those looking for work.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • This is a terrific role for Woodall, with shades of his party-boy hustler in season two of The White Lotus, Sal’s loose-cannon volatility balanced by surprising loyalty to Tony.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
Definition of surprising
Adjective
  • The sense of antiquity is preserved (stone staircases worn smooth by the centuries, wooden shutters in the bedrooms), but there’s no shortage of modern amenities, from the amazing Duxiana beds to bathrooms with rain showers.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But there’s so many amazing female filmmakers out there as well, who are making really cool films and doing amazing work.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of amazing
Verb
  • 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
  • On Our Radar -Forbes billionaire and U30 alum Palmer Luckey is reportedly seeking to raise a fresh round of funding for his defense startup Anduril, which could value the company at a startling $100 billion.
    — Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • That leaves a startling number of people outside the screening system.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 31 July 2026
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • Start with the escargot, which pack a wonderful buttery, garlicky punch, each bite topped with a perfect, tiny puff pastry.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • The combination of David’s wonderful scripts, Lenny back directing on the BBC, Element Pictures producing, and Claire and Mathew leading our cast is a real gift.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Definition of wonderful
Verb
  • The rollout comes on the heels of shocking AI safety failures that rattled the nascent industry.
    — Sam McNeil, Fortune, 31 July 2026
  • In year three, however, Fisch and the Wildcats were the talk of college football, shocking everyone with a 10-3 record and putting players like QB Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan on the map.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • Somehow those words in that order had never been used in a country song before, which seems miraculous.
    — Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Their lives were recorded in the form of hagiographies, stories of the saints, often ornamented with folkloric motifs, focusing on marvelous adventures and miraculous doings.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Definition of miraculous
Adjective
  • The navy and green color scheme is incredible and is otherwise completely absent from the visual history of this hockey team.
    — The Athletic NHL Staff, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The genus Labisia has some mind-blowing, incredible colors and patterns.
    — Dr. Matthew Lisy, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of incredible

Browse Nearby Words

astonishes
astonishing
astonishingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Astonishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astonishing. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on astonishing

Nglish: Translation of astonishing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All