astonished
astonished — adjective
1. so surprised by something unexpected that it leaves you almost unable to react —
so surprised by something unexpected that it leaves you almost unable to react — often shown on the face or in the voice, as when a quiet student wins first prize, or a long-lost friend appears at the door.
Theo was astonished to find a snake curled up inside her boot.
astonished + to-infinitive for an unexpected discovery
The judges looked astonished when the youngest singer hit a perfect high note.
linking verb 'looked' + astonished describing facial expression
Ms. Esme was astonished that her old bicycle still worked after thirty years.
Hana stared at the bill with an astonished look on his face.
Una was astonished by how quickly her little brother learned to swim.
- amazed
very close in meaning, but often suggests admiration or wonder rather than shock
- astounded
even stronger; the surprise borders on disbelief
- stunned
implies the shock is so big the person cannot speak or move for a moment
- flabbergasted
informal, often humorous; the speaker is comically lost for words
- unsurprised
neutral opposite — the event was expected
- indifferent
stronger opposite — not just unsurprised, but uninterested
文法句型
astonished + to-infinitive
astonished + that-clause
astonished by/at + noun
用法筆記
Stronger than 'surprised' — implies the surprise is so large the person is briefly stuck for words or action. Often appears with linking verbs ('look', 'seem', 'sound') describing visible reaction, and is followed by 'to-infinitive', a 'that'-clause, or 'by/at + noun'. Rarely modified by 'very' because the word already contains that intensity; use 'absolutely' or 'completely' instead.