astonish
Translation
to astonish, to amaze, to astound
Examples
Her reply seemed to astonish him.
Her reply seemed to astonish him.
The scale of the problem will astonish you.
The scale of the problem will astonish you.
Grammar Patterns
((sb./sth.)) to surprise (sb.) very much. Her reply seemed to astonish him.
Similar Words
Synonyms: amaze, astound, surprise, stun; Antonyms: bore, calm
Etymology
From Old French 'estoner' (to stun), from Latin 'ex-' (out) + 'tonare' (to thunder). Literally 'to strike with thunder'.
Memory Tips
Think of being so surprised you feel like you've been struck by thunder ('tonare') and turned to stone.