English Reference
Adverb

astonishingly

adv.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /əˈstɑnɪʃɪŋɫi/ UK /ɐstˈɒnɪʃɪŋli/ as·ton·ish·ing·ly

adv.in a way that is very surprising or shocking. You use this to describe something that is much better or worse than you expected.

adv.in a manner that causes great surprise or amazement. Often used to introduce a result that is significantly different from a previous expectation.


SIMPLE

The team won the game astonishingly quickly.

CONTEXTUAL

Astonishingly, the small startup managed to outperform the established giants in the same industry.

COMPLEX

Astonishingly, the ancient manuscript survived the centuries of war and decay, providing modern scholars with an unprecedented look into the daily lives of the era.

While we’re unconscious, the brain is astonishingly busy.

The Guardian· 9 Aug 2026

Luckin developed as a tech company with astonishingly detailed data about how customers' preferences change by day, and by different weather.

BBC News· 28 May 2026

From astonishing + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated