astonish
Use Astonish in a sentence
ɪʃ verb (used with object)
to fill with sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder; amaze: Her easy humor and keen intellect astonished me.
Origin:
1525–35; Middle English astonyen, astonen, probably < dialectal Old French *astoner, Old French estoner < Vulgar Latin *extonāre, for Latin attonāre to strike with lightning, equivalent to ex- ex-1, at- at- + tonāre to thunder; extended by -ish2, perhaps reflecting Anglo-French *astonir < dialectal Old French
1525–35; Middle English astonyen, astonen, probably < dialectal Old French *astoner, Old French estoner < Vulgar Latin *extonāre, for Latin attonāre to strike with lightning, equivalent to ex- ex-1, at- at- + tonāre to thunder; extended by -ish2, perhaps reflecting Anglo-French *astonir < dialectal Old French
Related forms
as·ton·ished·ly, adverb
as·ton·ish·er, noun
su·per·as·ton·ish, verb
un·as·ton·ished, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To astonish
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Astonish
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is absquatulate. Does it mean:
| to flee; abscond: |
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
astonish (əˈstɒnɪʃ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| (tr) to fill with amazement; surprise greatly | |
| [C15: from earlier astonyen (see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
astonish
mid-14c., astonien, from O.Fr. estoner "to stun, daze, deafen, astound," from V.L. *extonare, from L. ex- "out" + tonare "to thunder" (see thunder); so, lit. "to leave someone thunderstruck." The modern form (influenced by English verbs in -ish, e.g. distinguish, diminish)
is attested from c.1530. Related: Astonishment.
"No wonder is thogh that she were astoned" [Chaucer, "Clerk's Tale"]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Helm, whose relaxed but agile drumming continues to astonish.
The smallness of many of the pieces is not a function of cuteness or of the wish to astonish.
The more you look at them, the more they astonish with their lush tones, dreamy atmosphere and metallic three-dimensionality.
If so, they'll astonish even more people than they already have.
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