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
Despite its tattered state, the sofa's unique silhouette and designer pedigree drew astonishment on Reddit.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
His eyes carry the astonishment of a man who never wanted to be right.
—Alaa Alqaisi
august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Bare feet on grass, and astonishment at my little apple tree.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 July 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
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
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Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
His eyes carry the astonishment of a man who never wanted to be right.
—Alaa Alqaisi
august 13, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Bare feet on grass, and astonishment at my little apple tree.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 July 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
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
Cite this Entry
“Astonishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/astonishment. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
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