Synonyms of astound

astound

verb

ə-ˈstau̇nd 

as in to amaze

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected

it astounds me that you flew all the way out here just for my birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

• amaze
• surprise
• astonish
• stun
• shock
• startle
• dumbfound
• flabbergast
• stupefy
• rock
• surprize
• dumfound
• bewilder
• perplex
• take aback
• befuddle
• take by surprise
• thunderstrike
• bowl over
• disconcert
• floor
• confound
• discomfit
• confuse
• nonplus
• dismay
• shake up
• blindside
• muddle
• blow away
• daze
• jar
• knock for a loop

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb astound contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of astound are amaze, astonish, flabbergast, and surprise. While all these words mean "to impress forcibly through unexpectedness," astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

When might amaze be a better fit than astound?

The words amaze and astound can be used in similar contexts, but amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

Where would astonish be a reasonable alternative to astound?

In some situations, the words astonish and astound are roughly equivalent. However, astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

In what contexts can flabbergast take the place of astound?

Although the words flabbergast and astound have much in common, flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

When is surprise a more appropriate choice than astound?

While the synonyms surprise and astound are close in meaning, surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of astound

Atkins describes a moment when that speed of output particularly astounded him. —Anhar Karim, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

Seattle astounded housing advocates around the country in February 2025, when roughly two-thirds of voters approved a ballot initiative proposing a new 5% payroll tax on salaries in excess of US$1 million. —Susanne Schindler, The Conversation, 7 July 2025

The Juneteenth show in Texas was the culmination of an unlikely rise, literally to the clouds, for a Black woman whose courage still astounds a century later. —Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025

He's attended several protests over the years, but the crowd that gathered in Washington Park astounded him. —Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2025