Basic Details
Word: Astonishment
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Very great surprise.
Synonyms: amazement, wonder, surprise, shock
Antonyms: indifference
How to Spell Astonishment
Syllables: as - ton - ish - ment
Tricky part: Only one s at the start, and the middle is ton, with an o. Then ish and ment follow with no change.
Watch out for: asstonishment, astonishmant, astonisment
Memory tip: Imagine your astonishment if you could lift a whole ton: as-TON-ish-ment.
Usage Examples
Example 1: To our astonishment, the tiny puppy chased away the big monkey.
Example 2: Grandpa stared in astonishment at the new metro station.
Example 3: Her astonishment showed on her face when she saw her name on the merit list.
Fun Fact
Astonish comes from an Old French word meaning to stun, which is linked to the Latin tonare, to thunder. To be astonished was once to feel thunderstruck.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to astonishment as used in the sentence:
The villagers watched with astonishment as the first car drove down their dirt road.
a) wonder
b) amazement
c) indifference
d) surprise
Show answer
c) indifference. Astonishment is great surprise, while indifference means not being interested at all.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
ast_nis_ment
a) o, c
b) a, c
c) o, h
d) a, h
Show answer
c) o, h. It is ton with an o, and ish with an h before the ment.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
To his ntomhesisant, the old banyan tree had been cut down overnight.
a) astonishing
b) admonishment
c) establishment
d) astonishment
Show answer
d) astonishment. Twelve letters with two s's, an h and no g: astonishing ends in g, and establishment and admonishment bring in an l and a d, so the noun is astonishment.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would fill people in Chennai with astonishment?
a) snow falling in May
b) a hot afternoon in April
c) traffic at rush hour
d) rain in November
Show answer
a) snow falling in May
2. Astonishment is the noun of ____.
a) astonish
b) astonishing
c) astound
d) astronomy
Show answer
a) astonish
