astound

英 [ə'staʊnd] 美 [ə'staʊnd]

v.使惊骇；使大吃一惊

◉Etymology

“astound”源自中古英语“astouned”，是“astonish”的变体，起源于古法语“estoner”（震惊、击晕），后者可能来自拉丁语“ex-”（出）和“tonare”（雷鸣）。其字面含义为“如雷击般震撼”，暗示强烈的惊愕或震惊感。该词于16世纪进入英语，最初指“使震惊到麻木”，后演变为“使惊讶、震撼”。与“astonish”和“stun”同根，强调情感上的强烈冲击。

◉外刊例句

① The Economist, July 8, 2023

The speed of technological advancements in quantum computing continues to astound scientists.

量子计算技术进步的速度持续让科学家们震惊。

② The New York Times, November 3, 2024

The resilience of communities rebuilding after the hurricane astounded relief workers.

飓风后社区重建的韧性让救援工作者震惊。

③ The Guardian, April 12, 2022

Her ability to speak eight languages fluently astounded her colleagues.

她能流利地说八种语言的能力让同事们震惊。

◉经典名著

① 《Frankenstein》by Mary Shelley (1818)

The creature’s eloquence astounded me, for I had expected mere savagery.

这个生物的雄辩让我震惊，因为我原本只期待野蛮。

② 《Moby-Dick》by Herman Melville (1851)

The vastness of the whale astounded the crew, who stood silent on the deck.

鲸鱼的巨大让船员们震惊，他们默默站在甲板上。

◉Usage Examples

(1) Her elopement astounded her parents.

(2) The figures revealed by the report are astounding.

(3) The figures in that report astounded everyone.

(4) We were astounded to read your letter.

(1) 她的私奔使她的父母大为震惊。

(2) 这份报告透露的数字使人震惊。

(3) 那份报告中的数字让每个人大吃一惊。

(4) 我们看了你的信大吃一惊。

◉Usage Notes

Astound means to amaze. Savants, or those with extreme brain abnormalities, can astound people by their ability to play Beethoven sonatas on the piano after having heard them only once.

Astound has its roots in the verb astonish, originally meaning to stun, and the idea of surprise remains wrapped up in the word. Things like over-the-top fireworks, believable magicians, and the miracle of life tend to astound. But if you lick all your favorite cookies to keep anyone else from taking them––your rudeness could astound as well.

◉Colins

1, [VERB 动词]使大吃一惊；使惊骇；使震惊 If something astounds you, you are very surprised by it. [V n] [Also V]

He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance.

过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。