Surprise (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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verb (used with object), sur·prised, sur·pris·ing.
  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.
noun
  1. an act or instance of surprising or being surprised.
  2. something that surprises someone; a completely unexpected occurrence, appearance, or statement: His announcement was a surprise to all.
  3. an assault, as on an army or a fort, made without warning.
  4. a coming upon unexpectedly; detecting in the act; taking unawares.
Idioms
  1. take by surprise,
    • to come upon unawares.
    • to astonish; amaze: The amount of the donation took us completely by surprise.
verb (tr)
  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. to provoke (someone) to unintended action by a trick, etc
  6. to elicit by unexpected behaviour or by a trick
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. causing, characterized by, or relying upon surprise
  5. take by surprise
    • to come upon suddenly and without warning
    • to capture unexpectedly or catch unprepared
    • to astonish; amaze
Surprise (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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