astonished
B1Neutral to formal; common in both speech and writing.
Definition
Meaning
Feeling or showing great surprise or amazement.
A state of being so surprised by something unexpected or extraordinary that one is temporarily stunned or speechless.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a powerful, often sudden, impact on one's emotions or understanding. It often carries a connotation of being taken aback, sometimes to the point of disbelief.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both varieties use it identically.
Connotations
Equally strong in both dialects. Slightly more formal than 'surprised' but widely understood.
Frequency
Slightly more common in British English in written corpora, but the difference is marginal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be astonished at/by somethingbe astonished that + clausebe astonished to see/hear/learn/findVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[To be] struck dumb with astonishment”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe reactions to unexpected financial results or market moves. 'The board was astonished by the quarterly loss.'
Academic
Used to describe scholarly reactions to groundbreaking discoveries or controversial theories. 'The historian was astonished by the newly uncovered documents.'
Everyday
Common for personal reactions to news, events, or actions. 'We were astonished to get an invitation.'
Technical
Rare; more likely in popular science writing to describe public/scientific reaction.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The magician's final trick astonished the whole theatre.
- It astonished me to learn they'd sold the family house.
American English
- The news report astonished everyone watching.
- What astonished me was the sheer scale of the project.
adverb
British English
- She looked at him astonishingly, unable to form words. (Note: 'astonishingly' modifies the look, not the feeling of the subject)
American English
- He shook his head astonishingly, having witnessed the impossible. (Note: same usage note as British)
adjective
British English
- She had an astonished look on her face.
- There was an astonished silence after the announcement.
American English
- He was astonished at the high price.
- I'm astonished you've never tried sushi before.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I was astonished to see snow in April.
- He was astonished by the birthday cake.
- We were absolutely astonished by the final score of the match.
- She looked astonished when I told her the secret.
- Archaeologists were astonished at the pristine condition of the ancient tomb.
- I remain astonished that the proposal was approved without any debate.
- The judge listened, astonished, to the defendant's brazen justification for his actions.
- Astonished by the sheer audacity of the political manoeuvre, commentators struggled for an adequate response.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a STONE being dropped into still water, creating shockwaves. AS-TON-ISHED is the state of being hit by a wave of surprise.
Conceptual Metaphor
SURPRISE IS A PHYSICAL IMPACT / SURPRISE IS A FORCE THAT DISRUPTS THOUGHT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid overusing 'shocked' (шокирован) which has a stronger, often negative connotation. 'Astonished' is closer to поражён or изумлён.
- Do not confuse with 'stunned' (ошеломлён), which can imply temporary incapacity to act or speak.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect preposition: 'astonished from' (use 'at' or 'by').
- Spelling: confusing with 'astonishing' (the cause) vs. 'astonished' (the feeling).
- Overuse in contexts where 'surprised' is sufficient.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best captures the meaning of 'astonished'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral in terms of positive/negative valence. It describes the intensity of surprise, which can be caused by either good or bad news (e.g., astonished by a gift / astonished by a crime).
'Astonished' implies a much stronger, more overwhelming level of surprise, often to the point of being temporarily stunned. 'Surprised' is the more general, everyday term.
Yes, but less commonly than the simple adjective. E.g., 'I was astonishing' is incorrect, but 'I was astonishing them with my story' uses the verb. For the feeling, we typically use the stative form: 'I am astonished' (not 'I am being astonished').
The related noun is 'astonishment'. (e.g., 'She stared in astonishment.')