surprised

UK: /sə^rˈpraɪzd/ US: /sɚˈpraɪzd, sə-/

From the verb surprise: (⇒ conjugate)

surprised is: ⓘ

v past

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•prised /sɚˈpraɪzd, sə-/  adj. 

1. having or affected by a feeling of surprise:
   The surprised soldiers surrendered meekly.
   [be + ~ + (that) clause]
   I was surprised (that) she would do such a crazy thing.
   [be + ~ + to + verb]
   I was surprised to hear such anger in her voice.
See -pris-.

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•prise /sɚˈpraɪz, sə-/   v., -prised, -pris•ing, n. 
v. 

1. to strike with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, esp. by being unexpected: [~ + object]
   Those sales figures surprised me!
   [It + ~ + object + that clause]
   It surprised me that we had lost so much during the last quarter.
2. to come upon or discover suddenly and unexpectedly:
   [~ + object] When her father came home early he surprised the young couple on the couch.
3. to make an unexpected attack or assault on (an unprepared army, etc.):
   [~ + object] At dawn the regiment surprised the enemy in their barracks.

n. 

4. the state of being surprised, esp. at something unexpected:
   [uncountable] filled with surprise at the sheer size of the house.
5. something that surprises:
   [countable] She likes surprises for her birthday.
6. an act or instance of surprising:
   [uncountable] Perhaps the element of surprise gave us the victory.

Idioms

7. Idioms take (someone) by surprise, [take + object + by + ~]
   • to come upon without warning or unexpectedly:
     Our regiment took the fort by surprise.
   • to astonish;
     amaze:
     Her low grades in college took her parents by surprise, because she had always done well in high school.

See -pris-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•prise  (sər prīz′, sə-), v., -prised, -pris•ing, n. 
v.t. 

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.

n. 

6. an act or instance of surprising or being surprised.
7. something that surprises someone; a completely unexpected occurrence, appearance, or statement:
   His announcement was a surprise to all.
8. an assault, as on an army or a fort, made without warning.
9. a coming upon unexpectedly;
   detecting in the act;
   taking unawares.
10. take by surprise:
    • to come upon unawares.
    • to astonish;
      amaze:
      The amount of the donation took us completely by surprise.

• Anglo-French surpris(e) (past participle), Middle French, as above
• Latin prēnsus, -sa, equivalent. to prēnd(ere), contracted variant of prehendere to take (see prehension) + -tus, -ta past participle suffix; (verb, verbal) late Middle English surprisen
• Anglo-French surpris(e), Middle French, past participle of surprendre, equivalent. to sur- sur-¹ + pris (masculine), prise (feminine)
• (noun, nominal) late Middle English 1425–75

sur•pris•ed•ly  (sər prī′zid lē, -prīzd′-, sə-), adv.  sur•pris′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. 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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

surprise / səˈpraɪz/ verb (transitive)

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. (followed by into) to provoke (someone) to unintended action by a trick, etc
6. (often followed by from) to elicit by unexpected behaviour or by a trick: to surprise information from a prisoner

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. take by surprise ⇒ to come upon suddenly and without warning
6. to capture unexpectedly or catch unprepared
7. to astonish; amaze

Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French, from surprendre to overtake, from sur-¹ + prendre from Latin prehendere to grasp; see prehensile

surˈprisal noun

surˈprised adjective

surprisedly / səˈpraɪzɪdlɪ/ adverb