surprising
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- surprisingly adverb
- surprisingness noun
- unsurprising adjective
Etymology
Origin of surprising
Explanation
Surprising things are completely unexpected—they astonish or startle you. It would be surprising for most of us to get a phone call from the Queen of England. Unless you suspected your friend was planning something, the surprise party she throws for your birthday will be surprising. Things that are surprising take you aback or even confuse you a little bit. The adjective surprising comes from surprise, via the Old French sorprendre, "to overtake or seize." The original meaning of surprise party was a stealth military action.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But it's success wasn't just surprising to the city's bar staff, even Murray didn't expect the festival to expand the way it did.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
However, research in mice and in people with mutations in the HSL gene shows a surprising outcome.
From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026
The U.S. jobs market has shown surprising strength in the past few years, even as hiring nosedived in response to higher tariffs, a decline in immigration and general economic uncertainty.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
A move down after solid earnings and an EPS guidance boost might feel surprising, but investors have been nervous about defense stocks lately.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
As he scrambled to find office space, buy furniture, and open a brokerage account, he received a pair of surprising phone calls.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
