astonishing
/əˈstɒnɪʃɪŋ/adjective★Intermediate— extremely surprising or impressive
formalinformal
Extremely surprising or impressive; causing great wonder or amazement.
The view from the mountaintop was astonishing.
The view from the mountaintop was extremely impressive and surprising.
She made astonishing progress in her studies.
She made extremely impressive progress in her studies.
💡
Often used to describe something that is both surprising and impressive.
Collocations
astonishingly goodextremely impressiveastonishingly fastextremely quickastonishingly beautifulextremely beautiful
💡Pro Tip
Usage Tip
Use 'astonishing' to emphasize both surprise and impressiveness, often in formal or literary contexts.
📖Word Origin
From Middle English 'astonyen' (to astonish), from Old French 'estoner' (to stun), from Latin 'ex-' (out) + 'tonare' (to thunder).
📝Usage Notes
Can be used to describe both positive and negative surprises, though it often carries a positive connotation.
Word Breakdown
astonish
to surprise greatly
root-ing
present participle or adjective form
suffixEnglish Dictionary