astonish

views updated May 14 2018

as·ton·ish / əˈstänish/ • v. [tr.] surprise or impress (someone) greatly: you never fail to astonish me it astonished her that Mrs. Browing could seem so anxious.DERIVATIVES: as·ton·ish·ing·ly adv. an astonishingly successful program.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

astonish

views updated May 18 2018

astonish †dumbfound, stun XV; amaze XVII. First in (Sc.) pp. astonist, prob. extension, with -ISH2, of pp. of †astonie, †astony (XIV–XVII), obscure var. of †astone, the pp. of which is the source of ASTOUND.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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