amaze,shock,astonish,astound,surprise这5个词都有吃惊的含义，但有细微差别：

amaze强调“使惊异, 困惑”间或还有“惊叹, 佩服”的意思。
We were amazed at the ingenuity with which they solved their difficulties.
他们在解决困难中所表现的智慧使我们惊叹[佩服]。

shock强调“震惊, 使毛骨悚然, 使愤慨”，表示不快的事情。

astonish表示“对不平常的事大吃一惊”、“几乎无法使人相信”, 但没有“惊叹”的意思。
I was astonished at his rudeness.
他的粗野使 我大吃一惊。

astound强调“完全出乎意料”，用以往经验知识无法解释，其惊讶程度很强。
The enormous changes in the quality of life of the inhabitants astounded us.
城镇居民生活质量的巨大变化令我们惊愕。

surprise是通用词，它的含义是使人一愣，这种吃惊可能包含着高兴也可能包含害怕或忧虑，语气较弱。
We were surprised at finding the house empty.
我们惊讶地发现房子是空的。

程度递增:surprised-->astonished-->astounded-->shocked