Astonished is a word that is often used to describe a feeling of surprise or amazement. It is a common word that is used in everyday conversation, but its meaning and origin are not always well-understood. In this article, we will explore the various definitions and associations of astonished, as well as its synonyms and antonyms.
Definitions
The word astonished is often defined as being surprised or amazed by something. It can also be used to describe a feeling of shock or disbelief. Some other definitions of astonished include being bewildered, stunned, or flabbergasted.
Origin
The word astonished comes from the Latin word “extonare,” which means “to thunder out.” This word eventually evolved into the Old French word “estoner,” which meant “to stun” or “to amaze.” The word was then introduced into Middle English as “astonien,” which eventually became the modern English word “astonished.”
Meaning in different dictionaries
In the Oxford English Dictionary, astonished is defined as being “struck with sudden and great wonder or surprise; amazed, astounded.” Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines it as being “filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as being “very surprised.”
Associations
The word astonished is often associated with feelings of surprise, amazement, shock, and disbelief. It can be used to describe a wide range of emotions, from being pleasantly surprised to being completely shocked and overwhelmed.
Synonyms
Some synonyms of astonished include amazed, astounded, flabbergasted, stunned, shocked, surprised, and bewildered.
Antonyms
Some antonyms of astonished include unsurprised, unimpressed, indifferent, and unsurprisable.
The same root words
Some words that share the same root as astonished include thunder, stun, amaze, and wonder.
Example Sentences
- I was astonished to see how quickly she was able to solve the puzzle.
- The audience was completely astonished by the magician’s trick.
- He was left astonished by the beauty of the sunset.
- I was astonished to hear that he had won the lottery.
- The news of her promotion left her colleagues astonished.