surprise

1 of 2

noun

sur·​prise sər-ˈprīz How to pronounce surprise (audio)
sə-
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

surprise

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly surprize
surprised also surprized; surprising also surprizing

transitive verb

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
3
: to strike with wonder or amazement especially because unexpected
His conduct surprised me.

intransitive verb

: to cause astonishment or surprise
Her success didn't surprise.
surpriser noun
Choose the Right Synonym for surprise

surprise, astonish, astound, amaze, flabbergast mean to impress forcibly through unexpectedness.

surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

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
One should always be prepared for a day of surprises in politics. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 There is a calendar full of special events planned to celebrate these milestones, and there are plenty of surprises in store too. Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Zach Bryan had a surprise for concertgoers who attended the opening show of his headlining The Quittin’ Time Tour on Tuesday night (March 5) at United Center in Chicago. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 Below, find all the surprise songs Swift has performed on the Eras Tour, updating live. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Whip up a batch of these chocolate Guinness cupcakes—with a festive surprise inside. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 Another surprise, and one that wasn’t hinted at by the concept, is that the Charger Daytona will be available with either a two- or four-door body. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 In a mild surprise, Gore started ahead of NC State transfer CJ Clark, who is expected to be a key piece of the defensive tackle rotation in the wake of the departures of Leonard Taylor III and Branson Deen. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 With the 2024 Oscars now fast approaching, the frontrunners for the top prizes are slowly emerging—though a few jaw-dropping surprises are still possible. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
The whole menu feels like a tireless attempt to surprise and delight with dishes like mushroom stroganoff ($32), Korean short rib pasta ($48) and whipped butternut squash ($19). The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Even Cohen was surprised by Girardi's decision to post publicly. Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Analysts were surprised by the speedy plans from regulators to implement the brand-new rule. Matt Egan, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Aides were surprised by the announcement, The Times added. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Omega, Zenith, Grand Seiko More and more, brands aren’t waiting for a big trade show to delight and surprise us with a new release. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 During the usual redecoration of the Oval Office, Biden was surprised by a proposal to put Franklin Roosevelt’s portrait over the fireplace. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Learn how to make goldenrod eggs, and surprise your family with this new favorite breakfast recipe. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 The Sting is one of the very best buddy crime pictures, with gorgeous cinematography and an ending that never ceases to surprise despite being imitated by lesser films for 50 years now. EW.com, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surprise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English suppryse exaction, seizure, from Anglo-French sousprise, supprise, from feminine of supris, surpris, suspris, past participle of surprendre & susprendre to capture, take by surprise, from sur- & sus-, suz under + prendre to take — more at prize, sous-chef

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surprise was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near surprise

Cite this Entry

“Surprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surprise. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

surprise

1 of 2 noun
sur·​prise sə(r)-ˈprīz How to pronounce surprise (audio)
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

Legal Definition

surprise

noun
sur·​prise
1
: a condition or situation in which a party to a proceeding is unexpectedly placed without any fault or neglect of his or her own and that entitles the party to relief (as a new trial)
2
: an aspect of procedural unconscionability that consists of hiding a term of a contract in a mass of text

Geographical Definition

Surprise

geographical name

Sur·​prise sər-ˈprīz How to pronounce Surprise (audio)
city in south central Arizona west of Phoenix population 117,517

More from Merriam-Webster on surprise

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