variants
or less commonly surprize
1
a
: an attack made without warning
b
: a taking unawares
2
: something that surprises
3
: the feeling caused by something unexpected or unusual
variants
or less commonly surprize
surprised also surprized; surprising also surprizing
1
: to attack unexpectedly
also
: to capture by an unexpected attack
2
a
: to take unawares
Police surprised the burglars in the store.
b
: to detect or elicit by a taking unawares
… sometimes surprised a tragic shadow in her eyes.—
Willa Cather
Willa Cather3
: to strike with wonder or amazement especially because unexpected
His conduct surprised me.
: to cause astonishment or surprise
Her success didn't surprise.
surpriser
noun
Examples of surprise in a Sentence
Noun
What a pleasant surprise to see you!
It's no surprise that he doesn't want to go.
Is it any surprise that she should feel disappointed?
The teacher sprang a surprise on us and gave a pop quiz.
I have a special surprise for the children.
The trip was a surprise for her birthday.
Is the party a surprise?
Imagine our surprise when they sold their house and moved to the Bahamas.
He stared at her in surprise.
Verb
The results will surprise you.
Nothing you could say would surprise me.
They surprised everyone by moving to the Bahamas.
A police officer surprised the burglars.
The troops were surprised by an attack from the north.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
The jacket layers easily under a winter coat, works well on its own in spring and fall, and is water-resistant for surprise rain.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Fleurine Tideman, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
As the manager of the bridge — and the first woman to oversee it in 200 years — Evans gets up close and personal to it on a daily basis, and is constantly surprised by the technical details.
—Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprise
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Noun
His regular customers did not mention anything — not a surprise from clientele who know not to share classified information — but Esparza has been around long enough to sense that the Marines who were coming in to replace gear like sleeping bags and warm clothing were preparing to ship out.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
The jacket layers easily under a winter coat, works well on its own in spring and fall, and is water-resistant for surprise rain.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
Critics were further surprised by the comment given Chalamet’s own connection to the dance world.
—Fleurine Tideman, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
As the manager of the bridge — and the first woman to oversee it in 200 years — Evans gets up close and personal to it on a daily basis, and is constantly surprised by the technical details.
—Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprise
Cite this Entry
“Surprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surprise. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surprise
1 of 2 noun
sur·prise
sə(r)-ˈprīz 
1
a
: an attack made without warning
b
: an act or an instance of coming upon someone suddenly
2
: something that surprises
3
: the state of being surprised : astonishment
surprise
2 of 2 verb
variants
also surprize
surprised also surprized; surprising also surprizing
1
a
: to attack without warning
b
: to capture by an unexpected attack
2
: to come upon unexpectedly
3
: to fill with wonder or amazement because unexpected
surpriser
noun
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