astonish

/əˈstɒnɪʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈstɑːnɪʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈstä-nish/ (ame, mw)

astonish — verb

  • astonishpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • astonisheshe / she / it
  • astonishedpast simple
  • astonishing-ing form

1. to cause someone to feel a strong sense of wonder by doing or being something th

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to cause someone to feel a strong sense of wonder by doing or being something they did not expect at all.

例句

Mateo's six-year-old daughter astonished the music teacher by playing the whole piece from memory.

astonish + somebody + by + -ing for the action that surprises

The size of the old cathedral in Seville astonished the tourists waiting in the square.

subject is an impressive thing; object is the people surprised

同義詞
  • amaze

    very close in meaning; slightly more about wonder than disbelief

  • stun

    stronger; the person is momentarily unable to react

  • astound

    more formal and literary than astonish

  • surprise

    weaker; the unexpectedness can be small

反義詞
  • bore

    opposite reaction: nothing interesting or unexpected

文法句型

astonish + somebody

astonish + somebody + with + something

be astonished + that-clause

be astonished + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Stronger than 'surprise' — implies the listener can hardly believe what they saw or heard. Frequently appears in the passive 'be astonished' followed by a that-clause or to-infinitive describing the cause.

常見錯誤

❌I am astonishing by the news.
✅I am astonished by the news.
💡use the past participle 'astonished' for the person's feeling; 'astonishing' describes the thing causing the feeling.
❌The result astonished to everyone.
✅The result astonished everyone.
💡astonish takes a direct object without 'to'.