Adjective

• As an adjective, astound means to be astonished, amazed, overwhelmed or surprised.
  
  

Verb

• As a transitive verb, astound means to overwhelmingly amaze, bewilder or surprise.
  
  

Etymology

• The word astound comes from the Middle English word "astoned." The first known use in its present spelling comes from Edward Fairfax's translation of Tasso's "Godfrey of Bulloigne" in 1600: "No weapon on his hard'ned helmet bit, No puissant stroke his senses once astound."
  
  

As An Adverb

• When used as an adverb, astound becomes "astoundingly."
  
  

Usage Examples

• It was an astounding display of power.
  I will astound them with my new magic trick.
  He found it astoundingly silly that everyone else was so impressed.
  
  

Obsolete Usage

• In its history, astound has also meant to lose consciousness or to stupefy, but this definition is no longer commonly recognized by English speakers.