Search the Dictionary

Astonishing; wonderful; amazing; especially, astonishing in magnitude or elevation; as, a stupendous pile. "A stupendous sum." Macaulay. All are but parts of one stupendous whole. Pope. -- Stu*pen"dous*ly, adv. -- Stu*pen"dous*ness, n.

Stupor; astonishment; stupefaction. [R.] A stupidity Past admiration strikes me, joined with fear. Chapman.

n; emotion excited by what is sudden and strange; a suddenly excited feeling of wonder or astonishment. Pure surprise and fear Made me to quit the house. Shak.

Exciting surprise; extraordinary; of a nature to excite wonder and astonishment; as, surprising bravery; a surprising escape from danger. -- Sur*pris"ing*ly, adv. -- Sur*pris"ing*ness, n.

Anything very large, forcible; or astonishing. [Obs. or Colloq.] Herrick.

To astonish, or strike dumb, as with something terrible; -- rarely used except in the past participle. drove before him, thunderstruck. Milton.

Fitted to excite fear or terror; such as may astonish or terrify by its magnitude, force, or violence; terrible; dreadful; as, a tremendous wind; a tremendous shower; a tremendous shock or fall. A tremendous mischief was a foot. Motley.

discerner durst wag his tongue in censure. Shak. Every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. Jer. xviii. 16.

my, as a gun, a sword, etc. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. 2 Cor. x. 4. They, astonished, all resistance lost, All courage; down their idle weapons dropped. Milton.

Something uncommonly large of the kind; something astonishing; -- applied especially to a bold lie. [Colloq.]

Very large; monstrous; astonishing; as, a whapping story. [Colloq.]

A sound like a half-formed whistle, expressing astonishment, scorn, or dislike. Whew duck, the European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]

something new, unusual, strange, great, extraordinary, or not well understood; surprise; astonishment; admiration; amazement. They were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. Acts iii. 10. Wonder is the effect of novelty upon ignorance. Johnson.

Adapted to excite wonder or admiration; surprising; strange; astonishing.

Surprise; astonishment; a wonderful appearance; a wonder. Bacon. All the common sights they view, Their wonderment engage. Sir W. Scott.

Wonderful; astonishing; admirable; marvelous; such as excite surprise and astonishment; strange. That I may . . . tell of all thy wondrous works. Ps. xxvi. 7. -- Won"drous*ly, adv. -- Won"drous*ness, n. Chloe complains, and wondrously's aggrieved. Granville.