Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “astound” come from?

Astound comes from Middle English astouned, from Middle English astonen, from Old English āstunian, formed with the Old English intensive prefix ā- (from or-) and a root from Proto-Indo-European (s)ten-.

astound (English): To astonish, bewilder or dazzle; Stunned;...

Definitions

  1. To astonish, bewilder or dazzle; Stunned;...

Ancestry of “astound”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishastouned—
2Middle Englishastounento astound, stun, astonish
3Old Englishāstunian—
4Old Englishā-a-; away, out
5Old Englishar-—
6Proto-West Germanicuʀ-out, over; off, away
7Proto-Germanicuz-up, out
8Proto-Indo-Europeanuss-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanuds-up, out
10Proto-Indo-Europeanúdout, outward

Words derived from “astound”

  • astounding
  • astoundingly
  • astoundment
  • astoundeth
  • astoundest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European úd →