astonishing

astonishing — adjective

1. very surprising, or so surprising that it almost seems hard to believe.

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

very surprising, or so surprising that it almost seems hard to believe.

Example

The final score was astonishing after our team trailed by twenty points.

be astonishing after an unexpected result

The speed of the rescue was astonishing to watch from the hill.

astonishing + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • astonishing discovery
  • astonishing speed
  • astonishing result
  • astonishing amount
  • astonishing fact
Synonyms
  • surprising

    weaker and more neutral; it does not always suggest strong impact.

  • amazing

    often adds admiration or delight, not just surprise.

  • remarkable

    slightly calmer and often used in more measured description.

  • unbelievable

    puts more focus on seeming almost impossible to accept as true.

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

astonishing + noun

be astonishing

astonishing + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Often appears before nouns such as discovery, amount, speed, and result, or after be to comment on a fact. It is also common with a following to-infinitive, as in astonishing to watch or astonishing to hear.

Common Mistakes

I was astonishing by the news.
I was astonished by the news.
'astonishing' describes the thing that causes surprise, while 'astonished' describes the person's feeling.
The result was very astonishing.
The result was astonishing.
the adjective is already strong, so 'very' is often unnecessary.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Astonishing is stronger than surprising. It suggests that a fact, result, or sight hits you with real force and may feel hard to take in at once. Amazing is close, but it often carries pleasure or admiration as well as surprise, so it is common for good experiences and performances. Remarkable is calmer and more measured, often used when something deserves notice rather than shock. Unbelievable pushes furthest toward doubt, especially when something seems almost impossible. Compare: a late goal can be surprising, a rescue can be astonishing, a singer can be amazing, a student's progress can be remarkable, and a rumor can sound unbelievable.

astonishing ↗surprising ↗amazing ↗remarkable ↗unbelievable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • astonishing discovery
  • astonishing speed
  • astonishing result
  • astonishing amount

Adverbs

  • quite astonishing
  • truly astonishing
  • simply astonishing

Phrases

  • be astonishing to watch
  • be astonishing to hear
  • an astonishing amount of

Etymology

LatinVulgar LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Astonishing was formed in English from the verb astonish and the adjective ending -ing. Astonish came through Old French from Vulgar Latin extonare, built from Latin ex- and tonare, 'to thunder'. The older image is of something striking a person like a clap of thunder, which helps explain why astonishing still suggests a powerful shock of surprise.