astonish
Translation
to astonish, to amaze, to surprise
Examples
Her performance will astonish you.
Her performance will astonish you.
It astonishes me that he is still in business.
It astonishes me that he is still in business.
Grammar Patterns
((sb.)) to surprise (sb.) very much. The news will astonish everyone.
((it astonishes sb. that ...)) to be very surprising to (sb.) that... It astonishes me that you don't know.
Similar Words
Synonyms: amaze, surprise, astound, startle
Etymology
From Old French 'estoner' (to stun), from Latin 'ex-' (out) + 'tonare' (to thunder). Literally 'to be thunderstruck'.
Memory Tips
Imagine being so surprised it's like you were struck by thunder ('tonare').