ASTONISHMENT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does astonishment mean? 

• ASTONISHMENT (noun)
  The noun ASTONISHMENT has 1 sense:

1. the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

  Familiarity information: ASTONISHMENT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ASTONISHMENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

amazement; astonishment

Context example:

he looked at me in astonishment

Hypernyms ("astonishment" is a kind of...):

feeling (the experiencing of affective and emotional states)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "astonishment"):

admiration; wonder; wonderment (the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising)

surprise (the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you)

stupefaction (a feeling of stupefied astonishment)

Derivation:

astonish (affect with wonder)

 Context examples 

I glanced over them, noting with astonishment such names as Shakespeare, Tennyson, Poe, and De Quincey.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I was struck dumb with astonishment at the sight of her; but my emotions were nothing to those which showed themselves upon her face when our eyes met.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Eleanor's work was suspended while she gazed with increasing astonishment; but Henry began to suspect the truth, and something, in which Miss Thorpe's name was included, passed his lips.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

The portraits themselves seemed to be staring in astonishment.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Then, suddenly realising the full purport of his words, she gave a violent start and looked up, with fear and astonishment upon her broad, good-humoured face.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But when he heard my voice, and found what I delivered to be regular and rational, he could not conceal his astonishment.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Her astonishment and confusion increased; and though still not knowing how to suppose him serious, she could hardly stand.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

We heard his exclamation of astonishment, and then we went away silently.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Holmes laughed at the young giant’s naïve astonishment.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As I passed him at the door, I saw, to my astonishment and fright, that he was deadly pale.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)