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

Walker wasn’t surprised to see Mahomes provide a block that freed his path to the end zone. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026

Lawmakers were surprised to learn that nearly 1,700 state employees in all departments were paid more than $50,000 in overtime alone, while nearly 2,600 employees earned more than $40,000 in overtime in addition to their salaries. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

El-Hosseiny has claimed to be a filmmaker who is working to clear Holmes’s name, but Fielder seems surprised that Evans would be in cahoots with someone who doesn’t seem to have the best interest in protecting Holmes’s image. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026

As a highly knowledgeable observer of hip-hop trends, Bun B hasn’t been surprised to see the way that Drake’s career has bounced back from the negative headlines of 2024 and 2025. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 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