Standard Lemma guide

astound

adj · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /əˈstaʊnd/
  • Midwestern-US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • non-native Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /əˈstæɔnd/
  • New-Zealand: /əˈstæʊnd/
  • rhymes with -aʊnd
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 S T AW1 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Stunned; astounded; astonished.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To astonish, bewilder or dazzle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1637, John Milton, Comus, London: Humphrey Robinson, p. 8, These thoughts may startle well, but not astound The vertuous mind [...]
  • 1982, Paul Auster, “On the High Wire” in The Art of Hunger, Los Angeles: Sun & Moon Press, 1992, p. 240, A young man had strung a wire between the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral and walked and juggled and danced on it for three hours, astounding the crowds of people below.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

affect with wonder

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Your ability to speak six languages amazes me!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: amaze, astonish

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: surprise

Narrower terms: dazzle

History

Etymology

From Middle English astouned, astoned, astuned, past participle of astounen, astonen, astunen (“to astonish”). More at astonish.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: ذُهِل (ḏuhil) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Arabic: ذهل (zuhel) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Bulgarian: поразявам (porazjavam) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Bulgarian: слисвам (slisvam) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Bulgarian: изумявам (izumjavam) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使驚奇 /使惊奇 (shǐ jīngqí) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Czech: ohromit — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Danish: forbløffe — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Dutch: verbluffen — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Finnish: ällistyttää — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Finnish: äimistyttää — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • French: étonner — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • French: stupéfier — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • French: ébahir — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • French: épater — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • German: verblüffen — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • German: überraschen — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • German: erstaunen — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Greek: καταπλήσσω (kataplísso) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Greek: αφήνω άναυδο (afíno ánavdo) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Greek: αφήνω εμβρόντητο (afíno emvróntito) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Greek: σαστίζω (sastízo) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Ido: astonegar — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Japanese: 驚かす (odorokasu) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Māori: whakaohomauri — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Portuguese: surpreender — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Romanian: uimi — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Romanian: ului — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Russian: поража́ть (poražátʹ) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Russian: порази́ть (porazítʹ) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Russian: изумля́ть (izumljátʹ) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Russian: изуми́ть (izumítʹ) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Russian: удивля́ть (udivljátʹ) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Russian: удиви́ть (udivítʹ) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Spanish: asombrar — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Spanish: pasmar — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Swedish: förvåna — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Swedish: förbluffa — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle
  • Ukrainian: вражати (vražaty) — to astonish, bewilder or dazzle