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Astonishment vs Consternation - What's the difference?

astonishment | consternation |

As nouns the difference between astonishment and consternation

is that astonishment is amazement, great surprise while consternation is amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement; dismay.

astonishment

English

Noun

  • amazement, great surprise
  • An amazing thing or phenomenon.
  • * 1964:
    • Everything he had seen so far--the great chocolate river, the waterfall, the huge sucking pipes, the candy meadows, the Oompa-Loompas, the beautiful pink boat, and most of all, Mr. Willy Wonka himself--had been so astonishing that he began to wonder whether there could possibly be anymore astonishments left.

    Related terms

    * astonish * astonished

    consternation

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • Amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement; dismay.
  • * ? , ,
    • It was probably worth four millennia of consternation and regret.
  • * The Awakening , ,
    • "Out!" exclaimed her husband, with something like genuine consternation in his voice.
  • * 2003 , Terrance Dicks & Barry Letts, Deadly Reunion , chapter 17
    • Their audience had been listening in increasing consternation .