- present participle of surprise.
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.
Vocabulary lists containing surprising
Amazing
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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.
This take is ungenerous but not surprising, given that one of the timeworn accusations against Holden Caulfield is hypocrisy: This guy calls everyone else phony, but he’s just as phony!
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
So this is a hugely surprising end to a partnership that seemed to be heading in the right direction.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
For its 15th anniversary, ‘Drive’ director Nicolas Winding Refn looks back on working with Ryan Gosling, shooting in L.A. and some surprising influences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The high cost of healthcare in retirement is striking and, to some pre-retirees and retirees, surprising.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Is that not the most surprising thing you ever heard in your entire life, Helena?”
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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.
