surprising
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
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.
It’s a bit surprising to learn that Mr. Hoffman is 88 years old; Harry seems substantially younger.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Probably the most surprising selection in any England squad for a major tournament was when Sven-Goran Eriksson called up 17-year-old Arsenal forward Theo Walcott for the 2006 World Cup.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
The liability number might be a little surprising, but most of those liabilities appear to come from xAI.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
“Otherwise, I think the factors that led to this surprising explosion of fire in Southern California were due to a series of events that we’re familiar with from the historical record,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
I’d be tending my herb garden, clipping sprigs of fragrant leaves or replanting tender roots, then all of a sudden, a single tear would fall down my face without my awareness, surprising me.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
