Astoundingly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that causes significant surprise or amazement to those observing, often surpassing preconceived notions about the subject at hand
2. In a manner that elicits great surprise or admiration, often exceeding what is typically anticipated or considered possible
3. In a way that provokes intense wonder or disbelief beyond normal expectations

Etymology: Astoundingly is a plain formation: the adjective "astounding" with the suffix "-ly" added to turn it into an adverb. "Astounding" comes from the verb "astound," which is a variant of the older "astony," meaning to stun or stupefy, and the adjective is the present-participle form that describes something producing that effect. The adverb then describes doing something in a way that stuns the observer, or to a degree beyond what one would expect. The suffix has a long lineage. It traces back to a Proto-Germanic element *-līkaz, built on a root meaning "body" or "form," so that the sense was roughly "having the form or appearance of." Old English shortened this to "-līce," which Middle English reduced to "-ly." The same suffix turns "quick" into "quickly" and "bold" into "boldly," so the adverbial ending has been doing this job in English for well over a thousand years.

Synonyms: incredibly, remarkably, surprisingly, staggeringly, unbelievably

Antonyms: predictably, ordinarily