surprised 1 of 2

adjective

variants also surprized
Definition of surprisednext
as in startled

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surprised

2 of 2

verb

variants also surprized
past tense of surprise
1
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
2
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
Interestingly, Fauci was not surprised that one of the two who rejected the lab-leak hypothesis was a researcher who has been involved in gain-of-function research in a lab. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 29 July 2026 With Mercedes Moné already waiting after winning the Women’s Owen Hart Cup, don’t be surprised if the CEO has something to say to spoil the night. — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Verb
Evers told reporters Thursday that he was surprised by Barnes' move. — CBS News, 31 July 2026 But what surprised me was how seamlessly people moved through those spaces as part of their ordinary lives. — Todd Lookingbill, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprised
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised
  1. startled
  2. amazed
  3. ambushed
  4. awed
  5. shocked
  6. attacked
  7. bewildered
  8. stunned
Adjective
  • TikTok user Aubrey Birrell posted a video of her startled reaction to her San Diego, California, Airbnb on July 2.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
  • One of them who’d worked with Juliatra-Monoth gave him a startled look.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of startled
Verb
  • Just before halftime, van Persie slipped past the Spanish defensive line to receive a long-range pass from teammate Daley Blind and looped the ball over Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas with a first-time diving header that amazed the audience.
    — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026
  • When Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone at America’s Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, the invention amazed the crowd.
    — David H. Hsu, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Definition of amazed
Verb
  • After the match, Charlotte Flair walked out as the Baddies were being ambushed by Stratton and Green.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Reinforcements dispatched to the scene were ambushed en route, damaging an armored personnel carrier before officers fought back, according to the statement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of ambushed
Adjective
  • Maxwell, a fiction editor at The New Yorker, drew upon his own awed discovery of France in 1948; the novel’s opening paragraphs show one of the protagonists weeping at the sight of the French shore.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • But credit Neill for both understanding the assignment and not quite settling for those awed stares of Spielbergian wonder.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of awed
Verb
  • Consuela Ardon, co-owner of Las Palmas, her business for 19 years, said the arrest shocked her customers, many of whom are Hispanic.
    — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 29 July 2026
Definition of shocked
Verb
  • In a handwritten statement included in the application, Grayson appeared to show little remorse for his actions and maintained that Massey attacked him with the pot of hot water.
    — Ava Kelley, NBC news, 31 July 2026
  • Ignorance is off the table and so is naivete, which leaves only motive — and so motive is what gets attacked.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of attacked
Adjective
  • In a little corner of my mind, however, history will always mean the tragic smashing of individual lives by its cruel hands and the scattering of bewildered people reeling from its blows.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
  • Away from the bewildered rancher calling out in surprise, away from the Appaloosa.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah said he was stunned at the deaths of the climbers, including Purja.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Though many fans were stunned at the announcement, De Niro didn’t seem nervous about this new chapter.
    — Adrianne Reece, InStyle, 31 July 2026
Definition of stunned

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Cite this Entry

“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of surprised for Spanish Speakers

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