surprise
//sə(ː)ˈpɹaɪ̯z//
Forms
- Plural
- surprises
- present (v1)
- surprise
- past (v2)
- surprised
- past participle (v3)
- surprised
- present participle
- surprising
- 3rd person singular
- surprises
Definitions
1.Something unexpected.
- It came as a surprise when he succeed.
- It was a surprise to find out I owed twice as much as I thought.
- After the housecleaners drove off, the cat left a surprise for us on the carpet.
2.The feeling that something unexpected has happened.
- Imagine my surprise on learning I owed twice as much as I thought I did.
1.To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.
- It surprises me that I owe twice as much as I thought I did.
2.To undergo or witness something unexpected.
3.To do something to (a person) that they are not expecting, as a surprise.
- He doesn’t know that I’m in the country – I thought I’d turn up at his house and surprise him.
4.To cause surprise.
1.Drawing attention to a surprising action by oneself.
- "Surprise!" we shouted as we jumped out from the cupboard. "Happy birthday!"
2.Drawing attention to something that should have been obvious.
- When we add code modules, we will have an additional folder called (surprise!) Modules.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #1661
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Uncommon
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Uncommon
Related words
Word family
Etymology
From Middle English surprise, borrowed from Middle French surprise (“an overtake”), nominal use of the past participle of Old French sorprendre (“to overtake”), from sor- (“over”) + prendre (“to take”), from Latin super- + Latin prendere, contracted from prehendere (“to grasp, seize”).