surprised

1 of 2

adjective

sur·​prised sər-ˈprīzd 

sə-

: feeling or showing surprise because of something unexpected

was very surprised to see her there

was too surprised to speak

a surprised expression

surprised

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of surprise entry 2

Examples of surprised in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The local rabble-rouser thinks people will be pleasantly surprised, And not just those who lived through that insane time. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026

The crooner was surprised that his 70-year-old spouse knew what to do. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 10 Nov. 2026

For more on the 3 unexpected reasons why the jobs report surprised to the upside, head here. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026

But most Americans would be surprised to learn that their bills will keep climbing—even if no new hyperscaler data centers ever show up. — John Farrell, Time, 9 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1882, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for surprised

• advertised
• agonized
• amortized
• analysed
• analyzed
• anglicised
• anglicized
• anodized
• atomized
• authorised
• authorized
• brutalized