astonishment
noun
as·ton·ish·ment
ə-ˈstä-nish-mənt 
1
a
: a feeling of great surprise and wonder : the state of being astonished : amazement
The garden's beauty filled me with astonishment.
b
2
: something that astonishes : a cause of amazement or wonder
Everything that he had seen so far … had been so astonishing that he began to wonder whether there could possibly be any more astonishments left.—
Roald Dahl
Roald DahlExamples of astonishment in a Sentence
The garden's beauty filled me with astonishment.
A crowd watched in astonishment as he jumped from the bridge.
They discovered to their astonishment that their car had been stolen.
Much to the astonishment of her friends and family, she left school to pursue her acting career.
Recent Examples on the Web
Among many of those who worked alongside him at UEFA, there is astonishment at the way Infantino first seized power and quickly learned to embrace it.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 June 2025
Others expressed astonishment that daily life still continues amid conflict.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Jude Bellingham trotted over in his flip-flops in astonishment to congratulate Courtois before the two embraced, but no one was more pleased to see his goalkeeper come to the rescue than Alonso, who was asked what was going through his mind as Sabitzer’s effort headed towards goal.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2025
Johansson even joked in her musical monologue that castmember Sarah Sherman was leaving, to Sherman's mock astonishment.
—Eric Deggans, NPR, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
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Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 June 2025
Others expressed astonishment that daily life still continues amid conflict.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Jude Bellingham trotted over in his flip-flops in astonishment to congratulate Courtois before the two embraced, but no one was more pleased to see his goalkeeper come to the rescue than Alonso, who was asked what was going through his mind as Sabitzer’s effort headed towards goal.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2025
Johansson even joked in her musical monologue that castmember Sarah Sherman was leaving, to Sherman's mock astonishment.
—Eric Deggans, NPR, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
Cite this Entry
“Astonishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astonishment. Accessed 27 Jul. 2025.
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