ASTONISHED; ASTONIED as-ton'-isht, as-ton'-id (shamem, "astonished," the root idea being "silent," i.e. struck dumb with amazement; ekplessomai, "to be struck with astonishment," as if by a blow or a shock; existemi, "to amaze," "to throw into wonderment"; thambeomai, "to astonish" to the point of fright): The state of being surprised, startled, stunned by some exceptional wonder, some overwhelming event or miracle, as e.g. Nebuchadnezzar's amazement at the miracle in the burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:24) (tewah, "astonished"); of the passer-by at the desolation of Babylon (Jeremiah 50:13). The personality, teaching and works of Jesus were so wonderful, Divine, supernatural, as to awaken emotions of surprise and awe never before known in the presence of man.

The people "were astonished out of measure" at His doctrine (Mark 10:26 the King James Version); "astonished with a great astonishment" at His raising the dead (Mark 5:42 the King James Version). The gift of the Holy Ghost to the Gentiles was in like manner a source of astonishment to those Jews who believed through the power of Peter's preaching (Acts 10:45 the King James Version). The miracle of regeneration today, which renews and transforms debased and fallen men into saints, makes the same impression on an observing world.

Astonished Meaning and Definition in Dictionary

Astonished Meaning and Definition from WordNet (r) 2.0

astonished adj : filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock; "an amazed audience gave the magician a standing ovation"; "I stood enthralled, astonished by the vastness and majesty of the cathedral"; "astounded viewers wept at the pictures from the Oklahoma City bombing"; "stood in stunned silence"; "stunned scientists found not one but at least three viruses" [syn: amazed, astonied, astounded, stunned]

Astonished Meaning and Definition from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Astonish \As*ton"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Astonished; p. pr. & vb. n. Astonishing.] [OE. astonien, astunian, astonen, OF. estoner, F. ['e]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. Usage: 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.

Wikipedia Meaning and Definition on 'Astonished'

• The Astonished Heart: The Astonished Heart is a short play by Noël Coward , one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30 , a cycle written to be performed across three ... 
• The Astonished Heart (film): The Astonished Heart is a 1950 drama film directed by Terence Fisher . Johnson and Noel Coward and is based on his play The Astonished Heart ...

Words and phrases related to 'Astonished'

Amazed

Astonied

Astounded

Stunned

'Astonished' example sentence in quotations

* When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. - Mark Twain

* In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others. - Andr Maurois

* A poet is someone who is astonished by everything. - Anon.

Astonished Sample Sentences in News

• How Exactly Could a Squid ‘Inseminate’ Your Mouth? - io9.com
  The internet was shocked and astonished a couple weeks ago, when we all learned that a woman ate some parboiled squid — which managed to inseminate her mouth, because its spermataphores were still functioning. How could this happen? Danna Staaf from ... Read more on this news related to 'Astonished'
• In North Beach, molto gentile fans enjoy big match - San Francisco Gate
  "It's over," said an astonished Jerry Bini, watching on a big screen in San Francisco's North Beach district. Actually, it wasn't. Spain scored a fourth goal before the whistle blew at 93 minutes, reportedly the most serious drubbing any team has executed ... Read more on this news related to 'Astonished'
• Giving Health Care a Chance to Evolve - New York Times
  When the court affirmed the law’s constitutionality on Thursday, many forecasters were astonished. The ruling came by the slimmest of margins and was defended, in places, by deeply flawed economic reasoning. But it has paved the way for an ... Read more on this news related to 'Astonished'