What does astonish mean?
Astonish is a verb meaning to surprise someone greatly, filling them with a sense of overwhelming wonder or amazement. It is one of English's most forceful words for expressing the effect of something unexpected, sitting well above everyday terms like surprise and roughly level with amaze and astound. The word is transitive: it is the remarkable event, discovery, skill, or piece of news that astonishes the person witnessing or hearing it. Speakers use it across registers — a scientist might be astonished by an experimental result, while a child might be astonished by a street performer's trick. Its connotation leans toward delight and awe, though it can equally describe stunned reactions to unwelcome surprises. Derived forms include astonished (the adjective describing a person's state), astonishing (describing the thing that causes it), and astonishment (the noun naming the feeling itself). Because of its vivid emotional weight, astonish remains a favourite choice for writers seeking to convey genuine wonder.
verbTo surprise someone greatly; to fill with sudden and overwhelming wonder or amazement.
- To surprise someone greatly; to fill with sudden wonder or amazement.
"The magician's final trick astonished the entire audience."
"The scale of the ancient monument astonished the visiting archaeologists."
"She was astonished to discover she had won the award."
"Astonish" comes from the Old French "estoner," meaning to strike with thunder — so when you astonish someone, you are literally thunderstriking them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of astonish
Astonish derives from the Old French "estoner", meaning to stun or strike with thunder, which itself traces back to the Vulgar Latin verb *extonare* — literally "to thunder out", from Latin tonare (to thunder) plus ex- (out). The word entered Middle English around the 14th century, originally carrying the sense of being dazed or stunned as if by a clap of thunder before evolving into its modern meaning of great surprise. It shares this thunderous ancestry with the noun astonishment, which developed alongside it from the same root.
Related word forms
How astonish is actually used
Astonish is a strong word in both formal and informal registers, generally implying a degree of wonder beyond ordinary surprise. It is typically used transitively — the subject is the thing causing amazement. It carries a largely positive or neutral connotation of wonder, though it can describe shocked reactions to bad news as well.
Easily confused with astonish
Astound means to shock with disbelief, often stronger than astonish, which emphasizes wonder and amazement rather than sheer disbelief.