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surprised

/sərˈpraɪzd/
/səˈpraɪzd/
IPA guide

If you are taken unawares by something unexpected, you can describe that feeling with the adjective surprised. Look surprised when your friends plan a party without telling you, even if you see the cars in the driveway and know what's going on.

Surprised originally meant attacked unexpectedly. It was from the Old French surprendre meaning to overtake, with the root prendere from the Latin word for seize. Surprised has synonyms in words like astonished, amazed, and flabbergasted, but the latter three convey a greater sense of shock or bewilderment. You are surprised by the party, amazed that your old friend came, and flabbergasted to learn she is actually your sister.

Definitions of surprised
  1. adjective
    taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
    surprised by her student's ingenuity”
    surprised that he remembered my name”
    “a surprised expression”
    synonyms:
    amazed, astonied, astonished, astounded, stunned
    filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
    dumbfounded, dumbstricken, dumbstruck, dumfounded, flabbergasted, stupefied, thunderstruck
    as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
    gobsmacked
    completely shocked or astonished
    goggle-eyed, openmouthed, popeyed
    with eyes or mouth open in surprise
    jiggered
    (British informal expletive) surprised
    startled
    excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    unsurprised
    not surprised or expressing surprise
Pronunciation
US
/sərˈpraɪzd/
UK
/səˈpraɪzd/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘surprised'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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