Astonishing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ə-ˈstä-ni-shiŋ/ as·ton·ish·ing

Meaning & Definition of Astonishing

Astonishing (adjective)

  1. causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder, surprising

Astonishing (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness

    "gave us the astonishing news she was getting married"

    similar: amazing, astounding, blindsiding, dumbfounding, eye-opening, flabbergasting, jarring, jaw-dropping, jolting, shocking, startling, stunning, stupefying, surprising
    related: unannounced, unanticipated, unexpected, unforeseen, awesome, awful, breathtaking, fabulous, heart-stopping, marvelous, miraculous, portentous, prodigious, staggering, stupendous, sublime, wonderful, wondrous, extraordinary, phenomenal, rare, sensational, spectacular, befuddling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, discomfiting, disconcerting, dismaying, flustering, muddling, nonplussing, perplexing, upsetting, incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, unlikely, unthinkable, singular, uncommon, unique, unusual, unwonted, conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, remarkable, impressive, striking
    opposite: unsurprising
    near: common, customary, mundane, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual

  2. causing wonder or astonishment

    "an astonishing view of the Grand Canyon that few tourists get to see"

    similar: amazing, astounding, awesome, awful, eye-opening, fabulous, marvelous, miraculous, portentous, prodigious, staggering, stunning, stupendous, sublime, surprising, wonderful, wondrous
    related: incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, unthinkable, extraordinary, phenomenal, rare, sensational, spectacular, singular, uncommon, unique, unusual, unwonted, conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, remarkable, impressive, smashing, striking, mind-bending, mind-blowing, mind-boggling, animating, energizing, enlightening, enlivening, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, stimulating, alluring, attracting, attractive, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charming, enchanting, entertaining, enthralling, fascinating, interesting
    near: unimpressive, uninspiring, unremarkable, boring, dull, jading, monotonous, tedious, tiring, uninspired, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying, common, customary, mundane, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, usual, draining, enervating, exhausting, fatiguing, wearing, debilitating, enfeebling, demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting

Astonishing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected

    "the news that you and she broke up absolutely astonishes me"

    similar: amazing, astounding, bowling over, dumbfounding, flabbergasting, flooring, rocking, shocking, startling, stunning, stupefying, surprising, thunderstriking, knocking for a loop, taking aback, taking by surprise
    related: befuddling, bewildering, blindsiding, blowing away, confounding, confusing, dazing, discomfiting, disconcerting, dismaying, jarring, muddling, nonplussing, perplexing, shaking up

Related Entry: Astonish (verb)

Astonish is a different word from Astonishing. The synonyms below are for astonish, not for astonishing.

  1. to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected

    "the news that you and she broke up absolutely astonishes me"

    similar: amaze, astound, bowl over, dumbfound, flabbergast, floor, rock, shock, startle, stun, stupefy, surprise, thunderstrike, knock for a loop, take aback, take by surprise
    related: befuddle, bewilder, blindside, blow away, confound, confuse, daze, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, jar, muddle, nonplus, perplex, shake up

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Astonishing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Astonishing:

amazing, astounding, blindsiding, dumbfounding, eye-opening, flabbergasting, jarring, jaw-dropping, jolting, shocking, startling, stunning, stupefying, surprising, awesome, awful, fabulous, marvelous, miraculous, portentous, prodigious, staggering, stupendous, sublime, wonderful, wondrous, bowling over, flooring, rocking, thunderstriking, knocking for a loop, taking aback, taking by surprise

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Astonishing

Words with the opposite meaning of Astonishing:

unsurprising

Related Words for Astonishing

unannounced, unanticipated, unexpected, unforeseen, breathtaking, heart-stopping, extraordinary, phenomenal, rare, sensational, spectacular, befuddling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, discomfiting, disconcerting, dismaying, flustering, muddling, nonplussing, perplexing, upsetting, incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, unlikely, unthinkable

Near Antonyms of Astonishing

common, customary, mundane, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, unimpressive, uninspiring, boring, dull, jading, monotonous, tedious, tiring, uninspired, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying, draining, enervating, exhausting, fatiguing, wearing, debilitating, enfeebling, demoralizing

Word Forms of Astonishing

Derived words: astonishingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Astonishing

from present participle of astonish

First known use: 1593

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Astonishing

Frequently Asked Questions about Astonishing

What does "Astonishing" mean?

"Astonishing" means causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder, surprising. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder, surprising. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Astonishing"?

Other words for "Astonishing" include amazing, astounding, blindsiding, dumbfounding, eye-opening, flabbergasting, jarring and jaw-dropping. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Astonishing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Astonishing"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Astonishing". Common alternatives include amazing, astounding, blindsiding, dumbfounding, eye-opening, flabbergasting, jarring, jaw-dropping, jolting and shocking.

What is the opposite of "Astonishing"?

Antonyms of "Astonishing" include unsurprising. Near antonyms include common, customary, mundane and normal.

How do you use "Astonishing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Astonishing" in a sentence: "gave us the astonishing news she was getting married"; "an astonishing view of the Grand Canyon that few tourists get to see"; "the news that you and she broke up absolutely astonishes me".

Is "Astonishing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Astonishing" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Astonishing" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Astonishing" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Astonishing"?

"Astonishing" is pronounced /ə-ˈstä-ni-shiŋ/ and divided into syllables as as·ton·ish·ing.