astounding 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈstau̇n-diŋ How to pronounce astounding (audio)
Definition of astoundingnext
1
as in amazing
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness the astounding sight of their cat returning home after having been missing for two years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in astonishing
causing wonder or astonishment experiencing the astounding sight of the aurora borealis for the first time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

astounding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of astound
as in stunning
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected it astounds me that you flew all the way out here just for my birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of astounding
Adjective
By pairing the Series 12's smartest features—the faster S11 chip, instant Siri AI responses, and drastically improved heart rate sensing—with an astounding 74 hours of real-world battery life, Apple has built an absolute endurance machine. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026 Her first-person narrative is smoothly cut with an astounding wealth of archival images and footage. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 16 Sep. 2026 Yet in this astounding new film from Nathan Fielder (‘The Rehearsal’ and ‘The Curse,’ NYFF61) and Lance Oppenheim (‘Primetime’), created in secret over the past four years, Holmes becomes an entirely different kind of camera subject. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 Specs AccordionItemContainerButton Upsides AccordionItemContainerButton Downsides AccordionItemContainerButton For the Carrie Bradshaws of the world, this shoe storage rack holds an astounding 48 to 60 pairs. — Lauren Arzbaecher, Architectural Digest, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for astounding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for astounding
  1. amazing
  2. astonishing
  3. stunning
  4. surprising
  5. wonderful
  6. shocking
  7. startling
  8. miraculous
Adjective
  • This is amazing because everyone gets great views and natural light.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • This is him in 2014 when a lot of people were like, ‘This guy is amazing.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of amazing
Adjective
  • OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, had recently disclosed astonishing details about how its artificial intelligence agents had broken out of their systems, hacked into another company and tried to cover their tracks.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond attempting to smooth the industry’s many ruffled feathers, Hollywood’s newest mogul must now also wrestle down an astonishing $80 billion in debt accrued as a result of this highly leveraged merger.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of astonishing
Verb
  • Footage of the fight shared online showed Williams punching Colón in the back of the head in the seventh round, apparently stunning him.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of stunning
Adjective
  • This format travels across the country uncovering uplifting, emotional and often surprising stories of pets, their owners and the veterinary professionals dedicated to their care.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • What to know about the Commanders (1-2) Dan Quinn’s Commanders are fresh off the most surprising result of this young season.
    — Elise Devlin, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of surprising
Adjective
  • There is a wonderful museum in the park that interactively showcases the landscape and cultural history of the Chacabuco Valley as well as this part of the region's ecological loss and path to recovery.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Howell and Sloyan are quite wonderful in these moments, and Howell is exceptional throughout.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Verb
  • The run of recent incidents is shocking even those on the inside.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Philadelphia began the season 9-19, shocking much of the baseball world considering how great their roster is.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • Wen shows us the startling range of what the body can emote even when trauma renders words inaccessible.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Cornell engineering professor Rob Shepherd sought to design a large, silent underwater robot to monitor ocean health without startling marine life.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • The Broncos pulled off three miraculous trick plays in the final seconds of regulation and overtime to stun legendary running back Adrian Peterson and the powerhouse Sooners.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … BOLT FROM ABOVE — Couple recounts 'miraculous' rescue after surviving harrowing lightning strike during evening stroll.
    — , FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of miraculous

Browse Nearby Words

astounded
astounding
astoundingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Astounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astounding. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All