astound
/əˈstaʊnd
/verb [with object]
Shock or greatly surprise: her bluntness astounded him...
- They astound the audience with their skill and technique in throwing the device around and manoeuvring it on the string.
- Her capacity for stupidity has surprised her in the past, but now it astounds her.
- She astounds us all - we just look at her in absolute amazement.
Synonyms
amaze, astonish, stagger, surprise, startle, stun, confound, dumbfound, stupefy, daze, nonplus;
throw, shake, unnerve, disconcert, discompose, bewilder;
take someone's breath away, take by surprise, take aback, shake up, stop someone in their tracks, strike dumb, leave open-mouthed, leave aghast, catch off balance
informal flabbergast, floor, knock for six, knock someone sideways, knock out, knock the stuffing out of, bowl over, blow someone's mind, blow away
Origin
Middle English (as an adjective in the sense 'stunned'): from astoned, past participle of obsolete astone (see astonish).