Langimage
English

astonishing

|as/ton/ish/ing|

B2

🇺🇸

/əˈstɑː.nɪ.ʃɪŋ/

🇬🇧

/əˈstɒn.ɪ.ʃɪŋ/

(astonish)

surprisingly impressive

Base FormPlural3rd Person Sing.PastPast ParticiplePresent ParticipleNounAdjectiveAdjectiveAdverb
astonishastonishersastonishesastonishedastonishedastonishingastonishmentastonishingastonishedastonishingly
Etymology
Etymology Information

'astonish' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'astonien,' which came from Old French 'estoner,' derived from Latin 'extonare,' where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'tonare' meant 'to thunder.'

Historical Evolution

'astonien' transformed into the modern English word 'astonish.'

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'to strike with thunder,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to surprise greatly.'

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adjective 1

causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder.

The magician's performance was truly astonishing.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:35