1
as in amazement
the rapt attention and deep emotion caused by the sight of something extraordinary
the Midwesterner's astonishment at seeing the ocean for the first time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shock
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
the suddenness of the thunderstorm left the picnickers in a state of astonishment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of astonishment
His eyes carry the astonishment of a man who never wanted to be right.
—
Alaa Alqaisi
august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Bare feet on grass, and astonishment at my little apple tree.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 July 2025
In an era of deepfakes and algorithmic sleight-of-hand, authentic astonishment is more valuable than ever.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Her field notes are animated by sympathetic amusement, a tactful astonishment at the sheer evolutionary peculiarity of this creature.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
Alaa Alqaisi
august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Bare feet on grass, and astonishment at my little apple tree.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 July 2025
In an era of deepfakes and algorithmic sleight-of-hand, authentic astonishment is more valuable than ever.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Her field notes are animated by sympathetic amusement, a tactful astonishment at the sheer evolutionary peculiarity of this creature.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for astonishment
Noun
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To her amazement, the twins’ dad answered.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
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Here fans of thrifting and the Starfield game shared their amazement.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Reaction to the Grand Blanc Township violence Statements of support, shock and encouragement quickly flooded social media.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Gertrude set out to generate the same kind of shock—modernism’s disruption of form and perspective—by using words to compose a fractured picture.—
Judith Thurman,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Others chimed in with similar admiration.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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In conversation, Blunt’s admiration for Johnson is clear, and so is her interest in making sure other people recognize his talents and capabilities.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That’s not exactly a surprise, considering Johnson’s latest outing is a specialty pic from A24, versus the sort of wide-appeal action movie The Rock is best known for.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
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Countless artists got their start at the venue, including Taylor Swift, who makes a surprise appearance at the Bluebird to the audience's shock and delight.—
Janey Tracey,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But overall for Irwin, there's a sense of wonderment for all things Aussie.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Sep. 2025
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My love Bobby looked at life as an adventure taking me by the hand leading me through a world of wonderment from music to poetry and painting.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Astonishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astonishment. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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