surprise
verb (used with object)
to strike or occur to with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, as through unexpectedness.
surprised
-
past participleof surprise.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof surprise.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
surpriseverb (used with object)to strike or occur to with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, as through unexpectedness. -
a word derived from
surprise.
surpriseverb (used with object)to strike or occur to with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, as through unexpectedness.
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.
Walsh, the hospitality owner, said he was surprised a few days ago when he saw that someone—using a chalkboard where locals trade messages—had wished SpaceX employees luck running a marathon on the island.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
A sold-out crowd of 5,000 was surprised when the Braves were down by 21 points at halftime and the offense looked deader than Elvis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
"I was saddened, but I cannot say that I was surprised."
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
"He's got an ageing parent with a cancer diagnosis. The deepest human dynamic is attachment and connection and if that's what's motivating this I'm not in the least surprised."
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
He says that’s why it surprised him that I didn’t want to join the club at first.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
