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Glite Dictionary
to astonish

to astonish

13 3.5
To surprise someone very much
  • verb
  • /əˈstɑnɪʃ/
translation icon : asombrar
  • The magician's final trick will astonish the entire audience.
  • astonish most

I would add to that magic, because when we go to see magic, we want to be astonished and most people do.

Examples

Synonyms

to surprise
vsto astonish
∞ 1.0

To cause someone to feel wonder by doing something they do not expect

is stronger and focuses on deep sudden wonder rather than brief unexpectedness
to amaze
vsto astonish
294 1.0

To surprise someone very much

is the same idea but can be slightly milder in tone
to shock
vsto astonish
202 2.1

To cause someone to feel sudden surprise and distress

can also cause surprise but usually emphasizes wonder not distress
to blow your mind
vsto astonish
  • Informal
50 6.2

To surprise someone a lot and make them feel excited

produces strong wonder but usually without extreme excitement
to astound
vsto astonish
41 4.2

To surprise someone very much and make them feel amazed

is similar but focuses more on sudden gentle wonder
to take aback
vsto astonish
39 4.2

To surprise someone so much that they do not know what to say

creates sudden wonder but usually without the shocked pause
to take one's breath away
vsto astonish
  • Informal
33 4.1

Make someone feel very surprised and unable to speak

causes similar amazement but not always complete speechlessness
to flabbergast
vsto astonish
8 7.4

To surprise someone very much

shares intensity but often feels less shocked and more amazed
to stagger
vsto astonish
7 3.8

Surprise someone very much

causes wonder but tends to be less disorienting and more joyful
to bowl over
vsto astonish
  • Informal
3 4.9

To make someone feel very surprised and impressed

does the same but may be less about being overwhelmed
to leave in awe
vsto astonish
1 4.4

To make someone feel very amazed and full of admiration

focuses more on surprise itself rather than admiration
to make someone's jaw drop
vsto astonish
  • Informal
4.4

To surprise someone very much

evokes wonder too but not necessarily a visible facial reaction

Antonyms

to bore
15 1.4

To make someone feel tired or not interested by being dull when you speak

How Surprising

to stun
11 3.0
to astound
41 4.2
to amaze
294 1.0
to astonish
13 3.5
to surprise
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

astonish infinitive
astonished past
astonished past participle
astonishing present participle
astonishes third person singular

Morphology

astonish = aston + ish

Although 'astonish' superficially looks analyzable (contains 'aston' + '-ish'), the components are not productive modern English morphemes and the meaning cannot be reliably derived from the apparent parts.

Etymology

Astonish comes from an old idea of being hit by thunder and traces back to the Latin root tonare meaning 'to thunder'. So, to astonish someone is to leave them 'thunderstruck' or very surprised.