astounding

The word 'astounding' originates from the verb 'astound,' which entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman and Old French forms like estoner. These trace back to the Vulgar Latin extonare, a compound of Latin ex- ("out") and tonare ("to thunder"). The literal sense was "to strike as if by thunder," conveying a state of being stunned or overwhelmed. Over time, the violent, physical connotation softened into the psychological shock of great surprise. The addition of the '-ing' suffix transforms the action of the verb into an adjective describing something that possesses the power to cause such profound amazement.

Structure: astound (to shock with surprise) + ing (adjective-forming suffix) - astound: From Middle English astounen, astonen, meaning "to stun, daze, astonish." Its ultimate origin is Latin extonare ("to thunder out, strike with thunder"). - ing: A suffix of Germanic origin used to form present participles and adjectives from verbs, indicating a quality or state.