astonish

[uh-ston-ish] /əˈstɒn ɪʃ/
verb (used with object)
1.
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
Related forms
astonishedly, adverb
astonisher, noun
superastonish, verb
unastonished, adjective
Synonyms
astound, startle, shock. See surprise.
Examples from the web for astonish
  • Elephants have never lost the capacity to astonish and delight.
  • If so, they'll astonish even more people than they already have.
  • He can astonish himself with his own achievements, both good and bad.
  • In this great age of simplicity such a thing would naturally astonish us.
  • The smallness of many of the pieces is not a function of cuteness or of the wish to astonish.
  • When so many simple things remained to be invented that sticking a metal rod atop a barn could astonish people.
  • And some are meant to be opened at random so that they can reveal weird, little-known factoids that are meant to astonish.
  • Helm, whose relaxed but agile drumming continues to astonish.
  • Maybe someday they'll astonish us by writing something of consequence.
  • The more you look at them, the more they astonish with their lush tones, dreamy atmosphere and metallic three-dimensionality.
British Dictionary definitions for astonish

astonish

/əˈstɒnɪʃ/
verb
1.
(transitive) to fill with amazement; surprise greatly
Word Origin
C15: from earlier astonyen (see astonied), from Old French estoner, from Vulgar Latin extonāre (unattested) to strike with thunder, from Latin tonāre to thunder
Word Origin and History for astonish
v.

c.1300, astonien, from Old French estoner "to stun, daze, deafen, astound," from Vulgar Latin *extonare, from Latin ex- "out" + tonare "to thunder" (see thunder); so, literally "to leave someone thunderstruck." The modern form (influenced by English verbs in -ish, e.g. distinguish, diminish) is attested from c.1530.

No wonder is thogh that she were astoned [Chaucer, "Clerk's Tale"]
Related: Astonished; astonishing; astonishingly.