amazement
C1Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
A state of overwhelming surprise or astonishment.
The strong feeling of wonder or shock caused by something unexpected, extraordinary, or hard to understand.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to a noun denoting a reactive emotional state, not an active process. Often describes a temporary, intense reaction.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is virtually identical in meaning and frequency. No significant spelling or grammatical differences.
Connotations
Similar in both varieties, with a slight tendency toward more literary use.
Frequency
Slightly more common in British English according to corpus data, but the difference is marginal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Amazement at + noun/gerundAmazement that + clauseIn/With amazementVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To someone's amazement”
- “Gape in amazement”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might appear in reports on unexpected market results, e.g., 'The merger announcement was met with amazement by analysts.'
Academic
Used in literary analysis, psychology, or history to describe characters' or historical figures' reactions.
Everyday
Common in narrative descriptions of reactions to news or events.
Technical
Not typically used in technical registers except in psychology for emotional states.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not applicable; 'amazement' is a noun.
American English
- Not applicable; 'amazement' is a noun.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable; the related adverb is 'amazingly'.
American English
- Not applicable; the related adverb is 'amazingly'.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable; the related adjective is 'amazed' or 'amazing'.
American English
- Not applicable; the related adjective is 'amazed' or 'amazing'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Her face showed amazement.
- He looked at the toy in amazement.
- To my amazement, I passed the difficult test.
- They stared in amazement at the huge cake.
- The magician's final trick left the audience speechless with amazement.
- Her resignation was met with utter amazement by her colleagues.
- Amazement at the sheer scale of the corruption scandal gave way to public anger.
- The scientist expressed amazement that the results contradicted all established theories.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'AMAZE' + 'MENT' - the state of being amazed.
Conceptual Metaphor
AMAZEMENT IS BEING HIT/STUNNED (e.g., 'I was struck with amazement'), AMAZEMENT IS BEING LOST (e.g., 'lost in amazement').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'amazement' as an active process; Russian 'изумление' is a closer match than 'удивление' for stronger contexts.
- Avoid calquing structures like 'with amazement' as 'с изумлением' where a simpler adverb ('изумлённо') might be more natural in Russian.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'It amazements me').
- Confusing 'to my amazement' with 'for my amazement'.
- Overuse in informal speech where 'surprise' would suffice.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely synonym for 'amazement' in a formal context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Amazement' implies a much stronger, more overwhelming, and often longer-lasting reaction than the more general 'surprise'.
No. 'Amazement' is only a noun. The related verb is 'to amaze' (e.g., 'It amazes me').
Yes, it is a very common introductory phrase used to narrate a surprising event from a personal perspective.
Not directly. The adjective describing the feeling is 'amazed' (e.g., 'an amazed crowd'). The adjective describing what causes the feeling is 'amazing' (e.g., 'an amazing sight').
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