SURPRISED Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

surprised 1 of 2

adjective

variants also surprized

Definition of surprised

as in startled

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Dissimilar Words

surprised

2 of 2

verb

variants also surprized

past tense of surprise

as in amazed

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected I was very surprised when my parents offered to pay the down payment on our house

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in ambushed

to lie in wait for and attack by surprise FBI agents surprised the counterfeiters in their own base of operations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of surprised

Adjective

Order an Old-Fashioned, settle in, and don’t be surprised if, later in the evening, someone pushes the tables aside to start a dance party. — Midwest Living, 10 Nov. 2026 Framed by trees displaying shades of golden yellow, burnt orange, deep red and green, Hyland was visibly surprised and touched when Thrift got down on one knee. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2026

Verb

The one exception to this is, of course, when Vicki Gunvalson surprised her daughter Briana with a car and excitedly told her that Briana was the one who was going to be making the payments. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2026 Viewers weren’t the only ones surprised by the SVU partners’ first onscreen hug. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprised

Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised

Adjective

The rights have remained in the family, so Hreljanovic was startled to find, a few years ago, that the film was streaming on Shudder, the horror site, and that DVDs were selling on Amazon.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
Officials who appear loyal today might withhold cooperation from a startled regime, engage in a power struggle, or defect en masse.

— Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of startled

Verb

The 2026 guide has 29 new gems; that number includes a few places that had formerly dropped off the list but now return, having amazed us once again.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Larry remarks, amazed all these years later by this odd before-they-were-stars encounter.

— Blake J. Harris, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of amazed

Verb

The vote took place almost three months to the day after four police officers in their squad cars wrongfully ambushed my wife and me after using Flock cameras to track us for days.

— Joel Feder, The Drive, 4 Nov. 2026
The men were returning to camp from a visit to a supermarket when they were ambushed by armed gang members east of Port-au-Prince.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of ambushed

Adjective

The syrupy strings, treacly piano and awed choral vocals conjure an atmosphere of strained enchantment, suggesting a film burdened by fatal amounts of whimsy and emotional manipulation.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Related Articles The runway appearance of both Hosk and Palvin has set the internet aflame, with awed viewers commending the new moms and calling attention to the indelible power of women.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of awed

Verb

Once in sight of land at last, the ship is attacked (by the French, as this is during the French and Indian War), with consequences falling hardest on the Clems.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Second, during a July test, OpenAI agents attacked Hugging Face systems in a move unrelated to its task.

— Stephen Pitt-Walker, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of attacked

Adjective

For the first 12 minutes, the Bulls watched Brunson with the bewildered air of a student who forgot to study for a test.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2026
The Heat awoke Tuesday as the NBA’s only 0-4 team and thoroughly bewildered about how a group that fashioned itself a contender could continue to perform so poorly.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of bewildered

Verb

Three years ago, South Florida was stunned by a rainfall event so extreme it was classified as a 1-in-1,000-year occurrence.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
Lockwood initially bought the property secretly through a mystery corporation, Lake Osceola Holdings LLC, and the later revelation of the transaction stunned those who’ve been working for many months to save the house from demolition.

— Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of stunned

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“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of surprised

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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