astonishingly
UK: əˈstɒnɪʃɪŋli | US: əˈstɑːnɪʃɪŋli
adv. in a way that causes great surprise or amazement
adv. to an extraordinary or remarkable degree
The word "astonishingly" derives from the verb "astonish," which entered Middle English from Old French estoner (modern étonner), meaning "to stun" or "daze." This, in turn, traces back to Vulgar Latin extonare, combining ex- (intensive) + tonare (to thunder, from Latin). The suffix -ing forms the present participle, and -ly converts it into an adverb. Thus, "astonishingly" literally means "in a thunderstruck manner," reflecting its core sense of overwhelming surprise.
The magician performed astonishingly well, leaving the audience speechless.
She recovered astonishingly quickly after the surgery.
The team’s progress was astonishingly fast, surpassing all expectations.
The view from the mountaintop was astonishingly beautiful.
He solved the puzzle astonishingly easily, as if he had known the answer all along.