astonishment

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The feeling or experience of being astonished; great surprise.

   “The class looked on in astonishment as their teacher proceeded to tear the pages out of the textbook.”

   “1630, John Milton, “On Shakespear” in Poems of Mr. John Milton, London: Ruth Raworth, 1645 p. 27, Thou in our wonder and astonishment Hast built thy self a live-long Monument.”

   “[…] he dismissed all his Attendants with a turn of his Finger; at which, to my great astonishment, they vanished in an Instant, like Visions in a Dream, when we awake on a sudden.”

   “At these words, Marianne’s eyes expressed the astonishment, which her lips could not utter.”

   “Marilla’s astonishment could not have been greater if Matthew had expressed a predilection for standing on his head.”

2. (countable, uncountable)Something very surprising.

   “(colloquial)”

   “To find Ned Silverton among the habitual frequenters of Mrs. Hatch’s drawing-room was one of Lily’s first astonishments;”

   “Everything he had seen so far — the great chocolate river, the waterfall, the huge sucking pipes, the candy meadows, the Oompa-Loompas, the beautiful pink boat, and most of all, Mr. Willy Wonka himself — had been so astonishing that he began to wonder whether there could possibly be any more astonishments left.”

3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Loss of physical sensation; inability to move a part of the body.

   “[…] there followeth astonishment of the leg that is neere, that it can neither be stretched out right, nor he cannot go on his feet.”

   “[…] whosoever maketh water in the same place where a dog hath newly pissed, so as both vrines be mingled together, shall immediatly find a coldnesse and astonishment in his loines,”

4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Loss of mental faculties, inability to think or use one's senses.

   “Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.”

   “Upon the Stage he so charmed the people into astonishment with his babble, that he made them buy off amain his Drugs;”

5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Loss of composure or presence of mind.

   “[…] where of his cruell rage Nigh dead with feare, and faint astonishment, Shee found them both in darkesome corner pent;”

   “[…] as when a man ignorant of the Ceremonies of Court, comming into the presence of a greater Person than he is used to speak to, and stumbling at his entrance, to save himselfe from falling, lets slip his Cloake; to recover his Cloake, lets fall his Hat; and with one disorder after another, discovers his astonishment and rusticity.”