Astonish

Pronunciation: /əˈstɑːnɪʃ/

Definitions of astonish

verb to surprise or impress someone greatly

Example Sentences

A1 The magician's tricks never fail to astonish the children.

A2 The unexpected plot twist in the movie astonished the audience.

B1 The beauty of the sunset never fails to astonish me.

B2 The intricate details of the artwork astonished art critics.

C1 The scientist's groundbreaking discovery astonished the entire scientific community.

C2 The sheer magnitude of the natural disaster astonished even the most experienced relief workers.

Examples of astonish in a Sentence

formal The magician's performance never failed to astonish the audience with his amazing tricks.

informal I was completely astonished when I found out she was pregnant!

slang Her dance moves were so lit, they really astonished everyone at the party.

figurative The beauty of the sunset never fails to astonish me with its breathtaking colors.

Grammatical Forms of astonish

• past tense: astonished
• plural: astonishes
• comparative: more astonished
• superlative: most astonished
• present tense: astonishes
• future tense: will astonish
• perfect tense: has astonished
• continuous tense: is astonishing
• singular: astonish
• positive degree: astonishing
• infinitive: astonish
• gerund: astonishing
• participle: astonished

Origin and Evolution of astonish

First Known Use: 1300 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'astonish' originated from the Latin word 'astonare', which means 'to stun' or 'to strike with sudden fear or wonder'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'astonish' has retained its original meaning of causing someone to feel amazed or shocked, but it has also come to be used more broadly to convey a sense of extreme surprise or disbelief.