What does astonishments mean?
'Astonishments' is the plural form of 'astonishment', the powerful feeling of surprise or amazement aroused by something wholly unexpected. While 'astonishment' most often appears as an uncountable noun describing an overall emotional state, the plural treats amazement as something that can occur in distinct episodes — individual moments or outward expressions of wonder. In practice the word is rare: writers more commonly reach for the singular, for 'surprise', or for 'amazement', and 'astonishments' carries a somewhat literary flavour when it does surface. It suits contexts where a narrative is framed as a sequence of startling experiences, such as travel writing or accounts of scientific discovery. The word descends from Latin roots tied to thunder — to astonish was originally to strike someone as if with thunder — which gives even this quiet plural a dramatic pedigree. For everyday communication, however, the singular 'astonishment' remains the standard, natural choice.
nounThe plural of astonishment: the feeling of overwhelming surprise or amazement caused by something unexpected or extraordinary.
- Plural form of astonishment: instances or expressions of great surprise or wonder.
"The magician's finale drew audible astonishments from the crowd."
"Each new discovery in the archive produced fresh astonishments among the historians."
"She recounted her travels as a series of astonishments — nothing had prepared her for the scale of the landscapes."
Already a plural form; the singular 'astonishment' is the standard, far more common form of this noun.
"The expedition's journals recorded their astonishments at every turn."
Astonishment literally shares its ancient roots with thunder — it comes from Latin ex- ('out of') plus tonare ('to thunder'), so to be astonished was originally to feel as if thunderstruck.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does astonishments come from?
Astonishment derives from the verb 'astonish', which entered English in the Middle English period from Old French 'estoner', itself rooted in Latin 'extonare' — formed from 'ex-' ('out of') and 'tonare' ('to thunder'). The original sense was thus strikingly literal: to be astonished was to be stunned or struck down as by a clap of thunder. Over time the word softened into meaning intense mental surprise rather than physical daze. The plural form 'astonishments' follows standard English pluralization of the noun, though because the base noun is usually treated as uncountable, the plural sees limited use. Related words sharing the same Latin root include 'astound', 'stun', and 'detonate'.
Related word forms
How astonishments is actually used
Because 'astonishment' is typically an uncountable noun referring to a state or emotion, the plural 'astonishments' is uncommon and tends to appear when treating surprise as countable occurrences — discrete moments or expressions of amazement. It is slightly literary in register and is usually better replaced by the singular or by words like 'surprises' or 'amazements'.
Easily confused with astonishments
Astonishment is the singular uncountable noun denoting the feeling itself, whereas astonishments is simply its plural form and is far rarer in ordinary use.