ASTONISH
amaze, astonish, astound
(verb) affect with wonder; “Your ability to speak six languages amazes me!”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
astonish (third-person singular simple present astonishes, present participle astonishing, simple past and past participle astonished)
To surprise greatly.
Synonyms
• (to surprise): astound, flabbergast, surprise
Source: Wiktionary
As*ton"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Astonished; p. pr. & vb. n.
Astonishing.] Etym: [OE. astonien, astunian, astonen, OF. estoner, F.
Ă©tonner, fr. L. ex out + tonare to thunder, but perhaps influenced by
E. stun. See Thunder, Astound, Astony.]
1. To stun; to render senseless, as by a blow. [Obs.]
Enough, captain; you have astonished him. [Fluellen had struck
Pistol]. Shak.
The very cramp-fish [i. e., torpedo] . . . being herself not
benumbed, is able to astonish others. Holland.
2. To strike with sudden fear, terror, or wonder; to amaze; to
surprise greatly, as with something unaccountable; to confound with
some sudden emotion or passion.
Musidorus . . . had his wits astonished with sorrow. Sidney.
I, Daniel . . . was astonished at the vision. Dan. viii. 27.
Syn.
– To amaze; astound; overwhelm; surprise.
– Astonished, Surprised. We are surprised at what is unexpected. We
are astonished at what is above or beyond our comprehension. We are
taken by surprise. We are struck with astonishment. C. J. Smith. See
Amaze.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition