Astonishing
What it means
So unexpected and impressive that it causes great surprise.
Reach for it when praising an outcome whose scale genuinely exceeds expectation
The tiny telescope revealed an astonishing view of Saturn.
Words to choose between 7
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| everyday | |
| warm |
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| professional | |
| formal |
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playful
staggering
Fits when the magnitude overwhelms expectation
Careful Staggering often describes costs, losses, or other unwelcome extremes.
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everyday
Fits when friendly surprise and admiration should sound natural
Careful Amazing is heavily overused and may flatten a precisely measured achievement.
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everyday
Fits when unexpectedness is the only claim supported
Careful Surprising can describe bad or trivial news without admiration.
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warm
Fits when the surprise is forceful enough to stop ordinary response
Careful Astounding raises the intensity and may overstate a modest gain.
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warm
Fits when beauty or scale produces an immediate emotional reaction
Careful Breathtaking is promotional when no physical or visual impact exists.
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professional
Fits when the result deserves attention for a specific reason
Careful Remarkable is measured and may not convey genuine shock.
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formal
Fits when the achievement lies far outside ordinary quality
Careful Extraordinary is a comparative judgment and need not describe surprise.
Opposites 3
- ordinary
- unsurprising
- predictable
Common phrases 3
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astonishing result
The second trial produced an astonishing result with half the material.
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truly astonishing
The clarity of the restored recording is truly astonishing.
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astonishing achievement
Crossing the ice safely was an astonishing achievement.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Steve Shives, Mid-Atlantic US accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated