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

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 astound 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 Among other Disney live-action princess remakes, Beauty and the Beast astounded when opening to $174.6 million domestically in mid-March 2017, not adjusted for inflation. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for astound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for astound
Verb
  • The 90-yard dash along the right sideline one play after Ruvalcaba’s interception amazed his teammates.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Having an almost 80-year-old actor at the heart of the film and in almost every scene could be a huge undertaking, but Touzani says Maura’s vitality amazed her.
    Alissa Simon, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The battle was turbo-charged when Powell surprised markets with a 50 basis point inflation hike in September last year, seen by some as a gift to Trump’s Democratic Party election rival Kamala Harris.
    Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • In a move that surprised some, the Republican governor’s proclamation also called on lawmakers to weaken the state’s initiative petition process, a more than a century-old mechanism for direct democracy that allows citizens to put measures on the ballot.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The success of the event astonished everybody.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Both Padres baseball leaders were astonished by what the 2010 team had achieved through more than three-quarters of the season.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Instead, the army became bogged down in a grinding war of attrition, and the West was stunned by Moscow’s poor battlefield performance.
    David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • When news of the closing of Valerie Chang’s Peruvian restaurant Maty’s was announced in Midtown, Miami diners were stunned.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Apparently, this will shock no one, everybody lately wants to scream.
    Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
  • In 2019, after massive layoffs and lost sales, the company shocked Wall Street by writing down the value of marquee brands Oscar Mayer and Kraft by $15 billion.
    Alina Selyukh, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The cars are startled by a ghost car named Brenda (a perfectly imperfect name), who introduces them to other friendly ghost vehicles, most of whom have experienced deadly crashes and now honk funny.
    Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
  • This technique often is used with fencing to create a visual barrier and to startle geese when the tape shimmers in the breeze.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Astound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astound. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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