Amazement
n.joyful, hopefulwarm
What it means
A strong feeling of surprise mixed with wonder.
Reach for it when describing a reaction whose unexpectedness is as important as admiration
The restored ceiling drew gasps of amazement from visitors.
Choose between these
6- everyday
surprise
unexpectedness is the only required reaction
not when Surprise can be mild and lacks admiration.
- warm
pleasure outweighs unexpectedness
not when Delight can be fully anticipated.
- warm
awe and curiosity matter more than shock
not when Wonder can be quiet and need not involve surprise.
- formal
astonishment
the event strongly violates expectation
not when Astonishment can be negative or alarming.
- literary
grandeur creates deep respect and humility
not when Awe is weightier and less playful than amazement.
- literary
admiring contemplation is the response
not when Marvel is less natural as the name of an immediate emotion.
Said against
3- indifference
- expectation
- boredom
It naturally appears in
3- to my amazement
To my amazement, every cutting produced new roots.
- gasp of amazement
A gasp of amazement passed through the observatory.
- wide-eyed amazement
The children watched the glassblower with wide-eyed amazement.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English noun sense: great surprise or wonder opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.