surprise

American  

[ser-prahyz, suh-] / sərˈpraɪz, sə- /

verb (used with object)

surprised, surprising

1. to strike or occur to with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, as through unexpectedness.

   Her beauty surprised me.

2. to come upon or discover suddenly and unexpectedly.

   We surprised the children raiding the cookie jar.

3. to make an unexpected assault on (an unprepared army, fort, person, etc.).

4. to elicit or bring out suddenly and without warning.

   to surprise the facts from the witness.

5. to lead or bring unawares, as into doing something not intended.

   to surprise a witness into telling the truth.

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noun

1. an act or instance of surprising or being surprised.

2. something that surprises someone; a completely unexpected occurrence, appearance, or statement.

   His announcement was a surprise to all.

3. an assault, as on an army or a fort, made without warning.

4. a coming upon unexpectedly; detecting in the act; taking unawares.

idioms

1. take by surprise,

   1. to come upon unawares.

   2. to astonish; amaze.

      The amount of the donation took us completely by surprise.

surprise British  

/ səˈpraɪz, səˈpraɪzɪdlɪ /

verb

1. to cause to feel amazement or wonder

2. to encounter or discover unexpectedly or suddenly

3. to capture or assault suddenly and without warning

4. to present with something unexpected, such as a gift

5. (foll by into) to provoke (someone) to unintended action by a trick, etc

   to surprise a person into an indiscretion

6. (often foll by from) to elicit by unexpected behaviour or by a trick

   to surprise information from a prisoner

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noun

1. the act or an instance of surprising; the act of taking unawares

2. a sudden or unexpected event, gift, etc

3. the feeling or condition of being surprised; astonishment

4. (modifier) causing, characterized by, or relying upon surprise

   a surprise move

5. 1. to come upon suddenly and without warning

   2. to capture unexpectedly or catch unprepared

   3. to astonish; amaze

surprise More Idioms  

1. see take by surprise.

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Usage

Spelling tips for surprise The word surprise is hard to spell for two reasons. First, many people forget to include the first r because it is not emphasized. Second, surprise sounds like it might end in -ize, but it actually ends in -ise. How to spell surprise: Surprise! There’s an r in the first syllable (even if it often doesn’t sound like there is). You can remember this by picturing the p being surprised that it’s surrounded by an r on both sides. Next, remember that surprise ends in rise, not prize.

Related Words

Surprise, astonish, amaze, astound mean to strike with wonder because of unexpectedness, strangeness, unusualness, etc. To surprise is to take unawares or to affect with wonder: surprised at receiving a telegram. To astonish is to strike with wonder by something unlooked for, startling, or seemingly inexplicable: astonished at someone's behavior. To amaze is to astonish so greatly as to disconcert or bewilder: amazed at such an evidence of stupidity. To astound is to so overwhelm with surprise that one is unable to think or act: astounded by the news.

Other Word Forms

• supersurprise noun
• surprisal noun
• surprised adjective
• surprisedly adverb
• surpriser noun
• unsurprised adjective

Etymology

Origin of surprise

First recorded in 1425–75; (noun) late Middle English, from Anglo-French surpris(e), Middle French, past participle of surprendre, equivalent to sur- sur- ¹ + pris (masculine), prise (feminine), from Latin prēnsus, -sa, equivalent to prēndere, contracted variant of prehendere “to take” ( see prehension) + -tus, -ta past participle suffix; (verb) late Middle English surprisen, from Anglo-French surpris(e) (past participle), Middle French, as above

Explanation

A surprise can be an unexpected or astonishing event, such as an ambush or a really great grade on a test you didn't study for. Surprise can be a verb meaning to astonish or startle someone, a noun for the unexpected thing, or for the feeling produced by that surprise. It comes from the Latin word for "seize," and originally meant an unexpected military attack. When the novelist Charles Lever wrote in 1841 of "three cavalry regiments, their noiseless gestures and perfect stillness bespeaking at once that they were intended for a surprise party," he meant a surprise attack, not a birthday party.

Example Sentences

Recalling the surprise on Christmas Day, Emma said Sienna, her sister Amelia, 12, and their six cousins found out about the trip through a letter from Mickey Mouse.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

“It was a bit of a surprise just how far ahead they are,” McLaren driver Oscar Piastri said after his first look at his rivals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

So, it comes as no surprise to many Disneyland guests that it’s now being used at the entrance to the Happiest Place on Earth.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

The analysts said that the new terms shouldn’t come as a “major surprise to investors.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Regan gasped in surprise, and my jaw dropped as my brain fought to make sense of what I was seeing.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• amaze
• astound
• awe
• bewilder
• confound
• confuse
• dazzle
• disconcert
• dismay
• dumbfound
• flabbergast
• overwhelm
• perplex
• rattle
• shock
• startle
• stun
• unsettle