Astonishedly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that expresses profound surprise or disbelief
2. In a manner that conveys intense shock or wonder
3. Expressing a strong reaction of surprise or amazement

Etymology: "Astonishedly" is simply "astonished" with the adverbial ending "-ly" attached, so it means "in an astonished manner." The base word "astonished" is the past participle of "astonish," which came into English from Old French "estonner," itself traceable to a Latin root meaning "to thunder" or "to stun" (from "attonare," to strike with thunder). That origin explains the force packed into the verb: to be astonished was once to be struck almost senseless, as if by a clap of thunder. The "-ly" suffix is one of English's most productive endings, formed from an Old English word meaning "body" or "form," which is why it turns adjectives into adverbs describing the manner of an action. Attaching it to a participle like "astonished" produces a form that is less common than "astonishingly," which tends to carry the sense of something surprising in itself, whereas "astonishedly" describes the state of the person doing the reacting.

Synonyms: amazingly, surprisingly