surprise
noun
, sə-\
Definition of surprise
(Entry 1 of 3)
surprise
verbDefinition of surprise (Entry 2 of 3)
Surprise
geographical name
\
Definition of Surprise (Entry 3 of 3)
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for surprise
Synonyms: Noun
bombshell, jar, jaw-dropper, jolt, stunner
Synonyms: Verb
amaze, astonish, astound, bowl over, dumbfound (also dumfound), flabbergast, floor, rock, shock, startle, stun, stupefy, thunderstrike
Visit the Thesaurus for More
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: Noun
The reasons for such a staggering rate of extinction will come as a surprise to no one. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "The Staggering Worldwide Decline of Insects Is a Warning of Ecosystem Collapse," 13 Feb. 2019 There’s no question Swan comes as a surprise, as he was reported not to have wanted the job in the first place. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Intel makes Bob Swan its permanent CEO, maintaining a slow, steady course away from the PC," 31 Jan. 2019 Getty ImagesMaria Mosolova The spicy cinnamon and clove scent of this delicate bouquet will be a pleasant surprise to your valentine. — Carly Orleach, Woman's Day, "How to Make Fresh Flowers Last Longer," 15 Feb. 2019 Marc Jacobs’s Fall 2019 collection was full of surprises, but none more exciting than Turlington’s runway return. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Christy Turlington Makes a Spectacular Return to the Runway After More than 20 Years," 14 Feb. 2019 The nominations, announced by Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross from the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills, California, included plenty of surprises. — Jake Coyle, The Seattle Times, "Oscar nods honor ‘Roma,’ ‘The Favourite,’ ‘Black Panther’," 23 Jan. 2019 And so on… The real joy in Subnautica isn’t just in creating a sustainable habitat, though that technology curve is enormous and full of surprises all on its own. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Ars Technica’s best games of 2018," 24 Dec. 2018 As always, the Singita experience was full of surprises—whether a magical open-fire meal of traditional stews and meats or a more delicate avocado soup with cucumber and mint in the restaurant. — Pilar Guzmán, Condé Nast Traveler, "South Africa’s Other Big Five," 20 Dec. 2018 Since launching Fenty Beauty in 2017, Rihanna has used the element of surprise as her number-one business strategy. — Tess Garcia, Teen Vogue, "Rihanna Is Signing 20 Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter Palettes," 15 Dec. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
From her white blonde transformation, to her silver tint, to her enviable bubblegum pink shade, Kim continues to surprise fans with her hair choices. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kim Kardashian Just Debuted Cherry Red Hair & It Looks Stunning," 24 Feb. 2019 Allow Chef Eddy to surprise and tantalize you with his culinary creations. — Hannah Seligson, Town & Country, "The Best Room At... Winvian Farm," 19 Feb. 2019 Mark Wilson/Getty Images President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the complete withdrawal of America’s 2,000 troops in Syria — a decision that seemed to surprise everyone, including his own administration. — Alex Ward, Vox, "No one knows what’s happening with Trump’s Syria decision," 20 Dec. 2018 The 82nd airborne is the kind of unit that would jump behind enemy lines to surprise the opposition and seize ground ahead of other American forces. — Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, "U.S. Paratroopers Are Training to Jump With Surface-To-Air Missiles," 14 Aug. 2018 Skeptical, Colbert was pleasantly surprised by the acting legend’s swift response. — Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, "Meryl Streep Gets Candid Over Cocktails With Stephen Colbert at the Montclair Film Fundraiser," 3 Dec. 2018 And despite having eight nominations and two wins to her name, Mullally was surprised by the Thursday morning honor. — Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, "Emmys: Megan Mullally Disappointed in 'Will and Grace' Comedy Series Snub," 12 July 2018 Jarrett surprised the crowd by predicting her party would nominate Patrick. — Gabriel Debenedetti, Daily Intelligencer, "Where Is Barack Obama?," 24 June 2018 She was not surprised the three women realized their dreams. — Dennis Hohenberger, Courant Community, "Windsor Trio Sets Sights On Higher Ed, High Fashion," 19 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surprise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about surprise
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
October Surprise
October Surprise
The surprising history of an election buzzword
Dictionary Entries near surprise
Statistics for surprise
Last Updated
14 Mar 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for surprise
The first known use of surprise was in the 15th century
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for surprise
surprise
noun
English Language Learners Definition of surprise
(Entry 1 of 2)
surprise
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of surprise (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for surprise in the English Language Learners Dictionary
surprise
noun
, sə-ˈprīz\
Kids Definition of surprise
(Entry 1 of 2)
surprise
verbKids Definition of surprise (Entry 2 of 2)
surprise
nounLegal Definition of surprise
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on surprise
What made you want to look up surprise? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Original Meanings Quiz
-
- Which of the following is the earliest known sense of the word awe?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Original Meanings Quiz
A quiz for the pedantic and those annoyed by them!
Take the quiz -
A Green Quiz
How many questions can you answer about the word "green"?
Take the quiz -
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
Take the quiz -
Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share surprise
Resources for surprise