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
The Oscars, airing March 2 on ABC and streaming live on Hulu, will offer up kudos for some of these astonishments.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
The prize caused a small ripple of astonishment, since both Anora and The Brutalist had been tipped.
—Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2025
Some people, especially viewers blissfully detached from online discussion forums, will no doubt have received this information with shock and astonishment.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
Confidential and Memento, Pearce is, to the astonishment of many, celebrating his very first Oscar nomination this year, with his terrifying supporting turn in The Brutalist.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
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Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
The prize caused a small ripple of astonishment, since both Anora and The Brutalist had been tipped.
—Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2025
Some people, especially viewers blissfully detached from online discussion forums, will no doubt have received this information with shock and astonishment.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
Confidential and Memento, Pearce is, to the astonishment of many, celebrating his very first Oscar nomination this year, with his terrifying supporting turn in The Brutalist.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Feb. 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 14 Mar. 2025.
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