astonishing
gb/əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ/ us/əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
very surprising or hard to believe
very surprising; almost unbelievable
Usage pattern:
astonishing (to [someone]) (that [clause])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use it for small surprises; it usually implies a strong reaction.
Synonyms
amazing (More common and slightly less formal.)
|
astounding (Often suggests being shocked by the surprise.)
|
unbelievable (Emphasizes difficulty believing it is true.)
Antonyms
expected (Not surprising because it was anticipated.)
|
unsurprising (Causing little or no surprise.)
|
ordinary (Not unusual or remarkable.)
Collocations
astonishing news
|astonishing fact
|astonishing discovery
|astonishing story
|astonishing result
|astonishing claim
|quite astonishing
|truly astonishing
|absolutely astonishing
|an astonishing revelation
Themes
emotions
|communication
Examples
- It’s astonishing that the two companies agreed to merge so quickly.
- The report contains some astonishing details about the accident.
- She told an astonishing story about getting lost in the desert.
Learner examples
- The news was astonishing.
- It is astonishing that he finished so fast.
adjective
B2
property
2
remarkably impressive or excellent
very impressive; much better than expected
Usage pattern:
an astonishing [skill/ability/performance/achievement]
Common mistake:
In positive contexts, it often expresses admiration; it can also be neutral depending on context.
Synonyms
remarkable (Less emotional; focuses on being noteworthy.)
|
extraordinary (Suggests being far beyond the usual.)
|
impressive (More general praise; often less intense.)
Antonyms
mediocre (Not very good; average in a disappointing way.)
|
unimpressive (Not causing admiration.)
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poor (Clearly not good in quality.)
Collocations
astonishing talent
|astonishing ability
|astonishing performance
|astonishing achievement
|astonishing success
|astonishing accuracy
|astonishing speed
|astonishing skill
|an astonishing comeback
|astonishing progress
Themes
emotions
|arts
|achievement
Examples
- She has an astonishing memory for names and faces.
- The team made an astonishing comeback in the final minutes.
- He delivered an astonishing performance on his first night on stage.
Learner examples
- He has astonishing talent.
- Her results were astonishing.
adjective
B2
property
3
surprisingly large or extreme
very large or strong in a surprising way
Usage pattern:
an astonishing [amount/number/level/degree] of [something]
Common mistake:
Often used with quantities (amount/number); avoid using it where a neutral word like 'big' is intended.
Synonyms
staggering (Often used for numbers and suggests shock.)
|
enormous (Describes size/amount but does not always imply surprise.)
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huge (More informal and less emphatic than 'astonishing'.)
Antonyms
small (Little in size or amount.)
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modest (Not large or extreme; often pleasantly moderate.)
|
limited (Restricted in size or amount.)
Collocations
an astonishing amount
|an astonishing number
|an astonishing rate
|an astonishing price
|an astonishing level
|an astonishing degree
|astonishing cost
|astonishing growth
|astonishing variety
|astonishing range
Themes
numbers
|daily_life
|business
Examples
- They spent an astonishing amount of money on the renovation.
- An astonishing number of people showed up despite the rain.
- The city has grown at an astonishing rate over the last decade.
Learner examples
- It costs an astonishing amount of money.
- An astonishing number of people came.
Grammar
Dictionary form
astonishing
IPA
GB/əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ/
US/əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
as - ton - ish - ing (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ton)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: astonishing
Word family
Core family
Advanced or less common
unastonishing
adjective
Expressions
an astonishing amount of [something]
1/ən əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ əmˈaʊnt əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
a surprisingly large quantity
a very large amount
Examples
- The project required an astonishing amount of paperwork.
- They waste an astonishing amount of food every week.
- An astonishing amount of data is collected by the app.
an astonishing number of [people/things]
1/ən əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ nˈʌmbɚ əv pˈipəlθɪŋz/
fixed phrase
a surprisingly large count
a very large number
Examples
- An astonishing number of tickets sold in the first hour.
- An astonishing number of emails arrived overnight.
- An astonishing number of customers complained about the update.
it is astonishing how [clause]
1/ˈɪt ˈɪz əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ hˈaʊ klˈɔz/
fixed phrase
emphasizes surprise about degree
used to say you are very surprised about how much/quickly/etc. something happens
Examples
- It is astonishing how quickly children learn new words.
- It is astonishing how little time it took to fix the problem.
- It is astonishing how many people believe that rumor.
it is astonishing that [clause]
1/ˈɪt ˈɪz əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ ðˈæt klˈɔz/
fixed phrase
emphasizes strong surprise about a fact
used to say something is very surprising
Examples
- It is astonishing that no one noticed the mistake earlier.
- It is astonishing that the building was finished ahead of schedule.
- It is astonishing that she remembered every detail.
what is astonishing is (that) [clause]
1/wˈʌt ˈɪz əstˈɑnɪʃɪŋ ˈɪz ðˈæt klˈɔz/
fixed phrase
highlights the most surprising point
used to introduce the most surprising fact
Examples
- What is astonishing is that the error was repeated for years.
- What is astonishing is how calm she stayed under pressure.
- What is astonishing is that the plan actually worked.