Entry Word: surprising

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 causing a strong emotional reaction because unexpected <the surprising news that they were going to have a baby had them rushing to buy nursery furniture>

Synonyms amazing, astonishing, astounding, dumbfounding (or dumfounding), eye-opening, flabbergasting, shocking, startling, stunning, stupefying

Related Words unannounced, unanticipated, unexpected, unforeseen; awesome, awful, breathtaking, fabulous, marvelous (or marvellous), miraculous, portentous, prodigious, staggering, stupendous, sublime, wonderful, wondrous; extraordinary, phenomenal, rare, sensational, spectacular; befuddling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, discomfiting, disconcerting, dismaying, muddling, nonplussing, perplexing; incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, unthinkable; singular, uncommon, unique, unusual, unwonted; conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, remarkable; impressive, striking

Near Antonyms common, customary, mundane, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual

2 causing wonder or astonishment <itʼs surprising how much knowledge of physics the architects of those immense medieval cathedrals must have had> — see marvelous 1