SURPRIZED Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

surprised 1 of 2

adjective

variants also surprized

Definition of surprised

as in startled

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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

The ancient poet may have thus been surprised to learn that today, time is indeed retrievable—at least somewhat. — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026 But surely, his fellow campers might be surprised to learn the guy parked next door is a four-time All-Star and the 2021 AL Championship Series MVP. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Verb

Jonathan Adler, a law professor at the College of William & Mary who has written on Roberts’s views on standing, told me he was surprised by Roberts’s vote. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 The news was abrupt and surprised much of the media industry, as the company included little details about the situation in its statement. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprised

Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised

Adjective

The startled deputy lets out a scream and races back toward his patrol vehicle.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
The feline was then released back into the wild, startled but safe.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of startled

Verb

Perhaps what amazed me the most was the breadth and the depth to which a general American public seemed to be at a tipping point around the exorbitant cost of health care and how cavernous the gap is between the one percent and the 99 percent.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
But of the many falsehoods told by them, there was one which quite amazed me.

— Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of amazed

Verb

The same 1-2 punch that ambushed Cambridge with 52 points in the Dave Hunter + Corky Kell Classic beat South Gwinnett on Friday 55-20.

— Jack Leo, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Belle and Cal were ambushed in the finale and shot at by gunmen who were later revealed to be hired by Tom Wheeler, and the episode ended without confirming either of their fates.

— Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 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

News consumers today, surfing the slurry of free information on their phones and browsers, are constantly being shocked by the old.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Atlanta drivers were left shocked late Sunday night after a driver's legs were seen dangling from a vehicle lodged under an overpass.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of shocked

Verb

On her second set point chance, Sabalenka attacked hard down the middle.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Fresh off a recent campaign visit to Michigan, Vance above all aimed at Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, who the vice president has attacked aggressively for invoking his wife, Usha Vance, on the campaign trail.

— Joey Garrison, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of attacked

Adjective

When kids first got online, parents were bewildered and alarmed, but kids, who tend to gravitate to new technology, found freedom in a space that was basically ungoverned.

— Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
That bewildered shake of the head after Meyer's pitch in that video is not a rare occurrence for Raleigh this year.

— Eno Sarris, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of bewildered

Verb

Amal Clooney stunned in a red gown, as did Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, fresh off delivering a master class on the Lido, went from table to table chatting with guests as dinner was served.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 5 Sep. 2026
For those who didn't feel like giving the big UMass-Rutgers game Thursday night your time and effort, the Minutemen stunned Greg Schiano's group, 37-21, snapping a 16-game losing streak to FBS teams.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of stunned

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“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of surprised

adjective

verb

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