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
And the journeys that people have taken on the Mississippi River since time immemorial, frankly, is really astounding. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 July 2026 However, the true growth engine is Google Cloud, which saw revenue jump 63% and its backlog nearly double to an astounding $462 billion, surpassing last year's total revenue. — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 The astounding results delivered by Daraxonrasib, and likely by a new crop of medications now in development pipelines of pharma companies that work in a similar fashion, suddenly provide a significant opportunity to act. — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026 On July 2, a rep for Swift told PEOPLE that the couple had made an astounding $26 million in donations to various charitable organizations. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 3 July 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
  • The eighth-floor outdoor pool has amazing views, and the hotel sits in walking distance of shops and restaurants.
    — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • The director, 68, and the action star, 78, worked together on 1996's Eraser, with both wanting to deliver an amazing action movie.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of amazing
Adjective
  • Their defensive commitment was astonishing, compact and aggressive in a 5-4-1 shape throughout, limiting the overwhelming tournament favourites to pot-shots for over an hour.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Laptop Deal The HP OmniBook 3 redefines long-haul productivity by delivering an astonishing 32 hours and 15 minutes of operating on a single charge.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026
Definition of astonishing
Verb
  • 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
  • Against that backdrop, some say the ships are offering a surprising sense of connection.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • In many ways, the strong turnout for the World Cup isn't all that surprising.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 1 July 2026
Definition of surprising
Adjective
  • The animals, the cool weather and the wonderful people of this region made for a memorable trip.
    — Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Bat boxes are a wonderful addition to your yard for attracting bats and giving them a safe place to live.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 2 July 2026
Definition of wonderful
Verb
  • The payments were introduced following a 2024 assassination attempt on Fico, who was shot and gravely wounded after a government meeting, shocking the small country and reverberating across Europe.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Cape Verde, the ultimate underdog, went toe-to-toe with a primary contender, shocking the soccer world with a 0-0 draw against Spain.
    — Amna Subhan, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • The practical effect, according to Fred Vogler, who has been the Bowl’s principal sound designer since 2003, is startling.
    — Dave Brooks, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Oddly drawn to disconnect, horror fans crave novel experiences that feel both startling and strangely familiar.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • The World Cup provided a second miraculous moment on Monday night.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
  • Three children were among those pulled to safety in a miraculous rescue that aired on state television.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 25 June 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 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on astounding

Nglish: Translation of astounding for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All