Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Great surprise or amazement.
- noun A cause of amazement; a marvel.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The state of being astonished. The state of being stunned or benumbed.
- noun Confusion of mind from sudden fear or other emotion; consternation.
- noun Passion; excitement; frenzy.
- noun Great surprise or wonder; amazement.
- noun A cause or matter of consternation.
- noun Synonyms Amazement, admiration, awe.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun obsolete The condition of one who is stunned. Hence: Numbness; loss of sensation; stupor; loss of sense.
- noun Archaic Dismay; consternation.
- noun The overpowering emotion excited when something unaccountable, wonderful, or dreadful is presented to the mind; an intense degree of surprise; amazement.
- noun The object causing such an emotion.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
amazement , greatsurprise - noun An amazing thing or phenomenon.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The Romans used the verb _stupeo_, a term which strongly marks the state of an astonished mind, to express the effect either of simple fear, or of astonishment; the word _attonitus_ (thunderstruck) is equally expressive of the alliance of these ideas; and do not the French _étonnement_, and the English _astonishment_ and _amazement_, point out as clearly the kindred emotions which attend fear and wonder?
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 01 (of 12) Edmund Burke 1763
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Why does this not seem to bother our actual children? and Captain Huggy Face made it a good week by dancing out the word "astonishment."
Kristin Wilson Keppler: More Stuff That Happens in the World When We're Watching Nickelodeon Kristin Wilson Keppler 2011
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Why does this not seem to bother our actual children? and Captain Huggy Face made it a good week by dancing out the word "astonishment."
Kristin Wilson Keppler: More Stuff That Happens in the World When We're Watching Nickelodeon Kristin Wilson Keppler 2011
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People - and by no means professional philosophers only - often have experiences which they describe as astonishment at the fact of existence, awe in the face of 'Nothingness', apprehension of the unreality of the world or the feeling that whatever is impermanent must be accounted for by what is indestructible.
Inside Higher Ed 2009
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I had to laugh, as the ladies who checked me out looked at me in astonishment (!) and asked, not once, but three times, "Are you sure you want ALL of these patterns?!"
Home Living 2009
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The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, "You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook?"
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Mizander shook his head in astonishment and as Duke walked over to him to embrace him one last time, I saw the sun coming up over the horizon.
Blonde, Black and Blood Red nathreee 2010
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The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, "You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook?"
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Sorta like watching (in astonishment, I confess, even tho anticipated) the contrast of Obama not hesitating at all in implementing his goals.
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Gary Gensler's colleagues at Treasury looked at their TV screens in astonishment, Robert recalls: What the hell is Gary doing on TV?
CFTC chief Gary Gensler is out to police financial Wild West 2009
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