astonishment
gb/əstˈɑnɪʃmənt/ us/əstˈɑnɪʃmənt/
B1
English
~ 2700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
great surprise or amazement
A very strong feeling of surprise or wonder.
Usage pattern:
in astonishment
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'astonishment' with 'astonishing'. 'Astonishment' is the noun (the feeling), while 'astonishing' is the adjective (describing something that causes that feeling).
Synonyms
amazement (Very close in meaning; focuses slightly more on wonder than shock.)
|
surprise (Broader term for unexpected feelings; may be less intense than astonishment.)
Antonyms
indifference (Lack of interest or concern, opposite to feeling strong surprise.)
|
expectation (The state of anticipating something, opposite to being unexpectedly surprised.)
Collocations
in astonishment
|look of astonishment
|cry of astonishment
|to one's astonishment
|gasp in astonishment
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She stared at the painting in astonishment.
- To his astonishment, the letter was from an old friend.
- The audience watched in astonishment as the magician performed.
- He opened the box and gasped in astonishment.
- They exchanged glances of astonishment when they heard the news.
Learner examples
- She looked at me in astonishment.
- I felt astonishment when I saw the big cake.
- He opened the gift in astonishment.
- We watched the show in astonishment.
Grammar
Dictionary form
astonishment
IPA
GB/əstˈɑnɪʃmənt/
US/əstˈɑnɪʃmənt/
Syllables & stress
as - ton - ish - ment (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ton)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: astonishment
- Plural: astonishment
Word family
Core family
Related words
astonishingly
adverb
Expressions
in astonishment
1/ˈɪn əstˈɑnɪʃmənt/
fixed phrase
in a state of great surprise
showing or feeling great surprise or amazement
Examples
- He looked at her in astonishment.
- They stood in astonishment at the sight.
to one's astonishment
1/tə wˈʌnz əstˈɑnɪʃmənt/
fixed phrase
something greatly surprises someone
used to show that something made a person feel very surprised or amazed
Examples
- To my astonishment, she agreed to help me.
- To their astonishment, the team won the match.