amazement
gb/əmˈeɪzmənt/ us/əmˈeɪzmənt/
B1
English
~ 4200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
great surprise and wonder
A very strong feeling of surprise and wonder.
Usage pattern:
in/with amazement
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'amazement' with 'amusement'. 'Amazement' is about surprise and wonder, while 'amusement' is about finding something funny or entertaining.
Synonyms
astonishment (Very close in meaning, but can sometimes imply shock more than admiration.)
|
wonder (Often suggests more admiration and curiosity than shock.)
Antonyms
indifference (Opposite because it means having no strong feeling or interest.)
|
boredom (Opposite in that it reflects lack of excitement or engagement.)
Collocations
look of amazement
|in amazement
|express amazement
|to my amazement
|with amazement
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She stared in amazement at the fireworks lighting up the night sky.
- To my amazement, the shy student gave a confident speech.
- He watched with amazement as the magician pulled a rabbit from the hat.
- The children looked on in amazement at the giant robot.
- We listened in amazement to her incredible story.
Learner examples
- I looked in amazement at the big cake.
- To my amazement, he ran very fast.
- She watched in amazement as the dog jumped high.
- They listened in amazement to the music.
- He opened the box in amazement.
Grammar
Expressions
in amazement
1/ˈɪn əmˈeɪzmənt/
fixed phrase
in a state of great surprise and wonder
showing or feeling great surprise and wonder
Examples
- They stood in amazement as the whale breached the surface.
- He watched in amazement as the building lights turned on all at once.
to my amazement
1/tə mˈaɪ əmˈeɪzmənt/
fixed phrase
something surprised me greatly
used to say you were very surprised by what happened
Examples
- To my amazement, she solved the puzzle in seconds.
- To my amazement, the train arrived exactly on time.