astonishedas‧ton‧ished /əˈstɒnɪʃt $ əˈstɑː-/ ●○○ adjective 
We were astonished to find the temple still in its original condition.astonished by/at I was astonished by the result.astonished (that) I’m astonished that you should even think such a thing!► see thesaurus at surprised
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- An astonished officer found him still clinging grimly to the controls as he trundled along at a snail's pace.
- Asik was astonished, he forgot about his hiding place behind the tree and jumped into the road.
- Blake was astonished, and found himself moving towards the Doctor.
- Her face is astonished - blank with astonishment.
- The door opened and he staggered, almost fell, into the arms of the astonished lay brother.
- These are the astonished questions we ask when we first read the poem.
THESAURUS
having the feeling you get when something happens that you did not expect: · I was surprised to see her again so soon.· I’m really surprised that he remembered my birthday.· Nobody was surprised when they split up.· a surprised expression
[not before noun] extremely surprised, especially by something good or by something that seems hard to believe: · I’m amazed that he survived.· You’ll be amazed when you see the difference.
extremely surprised: · He was astonished by how much she had changed.· an astonished look
extremely surprised or shocked. Astounded sounds a little more formal and a little stronger than astonished: · She was astounded by how much it cost.
[not before noun] extremely surprised or shocked: · ‘What?’ I said, utterly staggered by his answer.· She just sat there looking flabbergasted.
so surprised that you do not know what to do or say: · I was too stunned to protest.· Everyone seemed stunned by his outburst.· They listened in stunned silence.
so surprised that you cannot speak: · I was speechless when I heard that I’d won.
[not before noun] surprised by what someone says or does, so that you are not sure how to react: · I was a little taken aback by her question.· Sharpe was somewhat taken aback by the girl 's directness.
formal surprised and a little confused: · She was nonplussed by such an odd question.
[not before noun] British English informal extremely surprised – a very informal use: · I was absolutely gobsmacked when they told me I had passed.
Longman Language Activatorsurprised if you are surprised by something that happens, you do not expect it, so it seems strange or unusual: · I was really surprised when I passed my driving test first time.· Carrie looked surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here!"· We couldn't help laughing at the children's surprised faces.surprised to see/hear/learn etc: · We were surprised to see Drew's picture in the newspaper.surprised (that): · I'm really surprised that he remembered my birthday.surprised at: · When I saw him again, I was surprised at how much older he looked.surprised by: · Julia seemed a little surprised by my question.pleasantly surprised (=surprised when something unexpectedly good happens): · His exam results were great - we were all very pleasantly surprised.
use this about something that surprises you so much you almost cannot believe it: · Liz was amazed when she found out how much dinner had cost.amazed that: · I'm amazed that the bank keeps lending him money.amazed to see/learn/find out etc: · We were amazed to see John looking so well, so soon after his operation.amazed at/by: · She couldn't help feeling amazed at his stupidity.amazed by: · You'll be amazed by how much progress we've made.
extremely surprised by something that happens, because it is very unusual or strange: · Mark was astonished when he read the message - what on earth could she mean?· We climbed out of the hole right in front of two astounded policemen.astonished/astounded (that): · It was an extremely nasty accident and I was astonished that anyone had survived it.astonished/astounded at/by: · Everton admits to being astounded at the popularity of the book.astonished/astounded to hear/see/discover etc: · The whole town was astounded to hear of a plan to build an office building right next to the lake.
to be so surprised or shocked by what someone has done or said that, for a moment, you do not know what to say: · I was taken aback to find an elderly woman sitting inside the door of the men's room.be taken aback by: · I was completely taken aback by his aggressive and unreasonable attitude.
especially written surprised and a little frightened or worried because of something that has suddenly happened or something that someone said: · "Have we met somewhere before?" The man looked startled for a moment.startled by: · They were startled by a sudden flash in the sky.
informal so surprised by something that has happened that you do not know what to say: · The delivery men just left the furniture in my front yard. I was flabbergasted.flabbergasted at/by: · Doctors said they were flabbergasted at the decision to close the hospital.
if you can't get over something that has happened, you are so surprised by it that you cannot believe it: · Madge couldn't get over how much Joe had grown since she'd last seen him.· I can't get over how much she eats - why doesn't she gain any weight?
especially spoken say this when you are very surprised by something because it does not seem possible: can't believe it: · I can't believe it! Jane and Richard are getting married.can't believe (that): · She was a brilliant pianist -- we couldn't believe she was only 15.can't believe your eyes/ears: · The letter invited me to fly first class to New York for an interview on Monday - I could not believe my eyes!
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY We were astonished to find the temple still in its original condition.
very surprised about something SYN amazedastonished to see/find/hear/learn etc We were astonished to find the temple still in its original condition. We were astonished to find the temple still in its original condition.astonished by/at I was astonished by the result.astonished (that) I’m astonished that you should even think such a thing!► see thesaurus at surprised