astonishas‧ton‧ish /əˈstɒnɪʃ $ əˈstɑː-/ ●○○ verb [transitive] 
Her reply astonished me. It astonished him that she had changed so little. What astonishes me most is his complete lack of fear.
WORD ORIGINastonish
Origin:
1500-1600 astone ‘to astonish’ (14-17 centuries) (from Old French estoner, from Vulgar Latin extonare, from Latin tonare ‘to thunder’) + -ish (as in abolish)VERB TABLE
astonish
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | astonish |
| he, she, it | astonishes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | astonished |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have astonished |
| he, she, it | has astonished | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had astonished |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will astonish |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have astonished |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Einstein's work still astonishes physicists.
- Stan has now rediscovered the fish bed and is currently preparing new specimens to astonish and delight the world.
- Though depleted by robbery in Thrace on the way home, Vulso's loot astonished the Romans for its size and quality.
THESAURUS
to make someone feel surprised, especially because they did not expect something: · Her reaction surprised me – I didn’t realize how strongly she felt.· What surprised me was how cheap everything was compared to at home.
to greatly surprise someone, for example because something is very good, unusual, or hard to believe: · He amazed everyone with his skill.· It amazes me that no one has thought of the idea before.
to greatly surprise someone: · Myra astonished her doctors by recovering so quickly.
to greatly surprise or shock someone. Astound sounds a little more formal and a little stronger than astonish: · What astounded him was their inefficiency.
to happen at an unexpected time, so that people are surprised or unprepared: · Security men were taken by surprise as the man ran onto the stage.· His resignation took us by surprise.
to make someone feel surprised or slightly frightened by doing something they did not expect: · The wind made the door shut with a crash, which startled her.· Sudden movements may startle the horse.
Longman Language Activatorto make someone surprised · Diana's reaction surprised him - he hadn't realized that she was so upset.· The exam was actually quite easy, which surprised me.what surprises somebody is · What surprised me most was how cheap everything was compared to at home.it surprises somebody that · I have to say, it surprises me that they haven't gone bankrupt before now.surprise yourself (=do something that you thought you could not do, so that you are surprised) · Why don't you just have a go at skiing? You might surprise yourself.
if something is a surprise , or if it comes as a surprise , it surprises you: · "Bob and Linda are getting divorced.'' "That's a surprise -- they seemed like the perfect couple.''· The firing of the team's star pitcher came as a surprise to fans and sports writers alike.a complete surprise (=a big surprise): · My brother's sudden visit home was a complete surprise.be a surprise/come as a surprise to somebody: · The announcement of his resignation was a complete surprise to everyone in the office.it comes as a surprise to see/learn/find etc: · It comes as a surprise to learn what a high rate of illiteracy there is in this country.
to make someone feel extremely surprised, especially because something is very hard to believe: · Dave amazed his friends by leaving a well-paid job to travel around the world.it amazes somebody that: · It amazes me that no-one has thought of the idea sooner.
to make someone feel extremely surprised: · My father's reaction astounded me. How could he be so calm!· Tammy astonished her doctors by learning to walk again within weeks of the accident.· They astounded audiences with their fanciful costumes and their fascinating tales.what astonishes/astounds somebody is: · What astonishes me is how incredibly inefficient so many companies seem to be.
also catch somebody by surprise American if something takes you by surprise , it happens at a time when you are not expecting it: · The President's resignation took everyone by surprise.· The vehemence of her response took me by surprise.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It astonished him that she had changed so little. What astonishes me most is his complete lack of fear.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
to surprise someone very much SYN amaze: It astonished him that she had changed so little. What astonishes me most is his complete lack of fear.· He plunged it into a dish of lavender essence and was astonished how quickly the burn healed.· It is astonishing how quickly sailors return to their habitat.· I was astonished how fast the game has become since the back pass rule has changed.· It was astonishing how quickly time passed now that I wanted it to slow down.· Once again Charles was astonished how easily Malcolm would fall for the oldest cons in the business.· How astonished would Polly's parents have been had they returned at this point.
· And even more astonished he went back to la Sologne - not just physically but emotionally.· But what is still more astonishing is that what goes for individuals goes for governments too.· Nothing, however, was more astonishing than the speed with which all of it was built.· But it demonstrates something much more astonishing: that in a sense all matter is illusion!· Even more astonishing, the number of 10-meter bodies in Earth-crossing orbits is roughly a hundred million!
· The most astonishing thing about this object is its antiquity.· Perhaps the most astonishing finding was that the effects seemed to endure after the training stopped.· The last of these is the most astonishing.· I looked up to see a most astonishing creature.
· The police were so astonished they put away their truncheons and led the small man away.· So astonishing are the anecdotes, so bizarre the characters, that eventually the reader has to suspend a truckload of disbelief.· I suppose the main reason was that I was so astonished to find that they existed at all.
· I was astonished when we began walking down the now weed-strewn path to feel a familiar feeling of fear and expectation.· They were astonished when they found that he was a lad of no more than seventeen.· I was duly astonished when Harley asked for his putter and sent Derek Jefferson ahead to hold the flag.· They say Mind presumed an inquiry would involve the families and those advising them and we were astonished when it did not.· I was frankly astonished when this gentleman was ennobled.
VERB· I ask Beate whether she hates the boys, and she seems astonished by the question.· That we made it through Taos without being apprehended seems astonishing.· Our parents seem astonished that we tend to question authority.
Her reply astonished me. It astonished him that she had changed so little. What astonishes me most is his complete lack of fear.