verb
astound
uh-STOWND
verb
1
To shock or amaze someone so much that they are left almost speechless.
"The scale of the fraud astounded investigators."
"Her talent for languages astounds everyone she meets."
How to Use Astound
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo amaze someone so strongly that they are left stunned.
Common mistake
Very close in meaning to "astonish," though "astound" often implies a slightly stronger, more overwhelming shock.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
more astound comparative, astounded past tense, astounds singular, most astound superlative
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Etymology
From Middle English astouned, the past participle of a verb related to "astonish" — the two words share the same root and once meant essentially the same thing.