aston
v. C2 Proficiency US //ˈæstən// as·ton
v. to surprise someone very much. This is an old-fashioned way of saying 'astonish' or 'amaze'.
v. to strike with sudden fear, wonder, or surprise. Archaic in modern usage; the contemporary form is 'astonish'.
The sudden news did aston her greatly.
The traveler sought to aston the villagers with tales of mythical beasts and golden cities.
In the old texts, the poet describes how the sight of the rising sun would aston the weary soldiers, filling them with a renewed sense of hope.
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. It is largely obsolete in modern English, having been replaced by 'astonish'.