Word that means surprising

Last Updated:
13 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

Surprising adjective — Causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness.

Usage example: the surprising news that they were going to have a baby had them rushing to buy nursery furniture

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Spelling is a complex activity. Good spelling requires developing many skills. This requires an understanding of the sounds that are contained in the words written on paper. Sometimes it is necessary to memorize many spelling rules and at the same time remember all the exceptions to those rules. Not to mention when we have to choose the correct word among several that sound alike. This selection is precisely the case that we will analyze today between «surprise» and «suprise.»

The word «surprise» means to be genuinely astonished by an event or situation that occurs unexpectedly. We also define it as a state of emotion that can be positive or negative, depending on the condition that produces it. In contrast, «suprise» is the incorrect spelling of «surprise.»

In the continuous writing process, we must check spelling whether we are preparing a work report, an email, or a love letter. We have to choose the right words, in the proper context, with the correct grammatical structure and spelling. Today we will enter into the depths of «surprise» and «suprise,» so buckle up as we go over all the relevant information about these two terms.

What Is The Definition Of The Word «Surprise»?

The word «surprise» is a term that some people love with passion, while others may have bitter memories. It all depends on what events we associate with this popular word. Below we will study its main definitions.

Surprise As A Verb

• To cause astonishment or wonder at something.
• To find or discover something unexpectedly or suddenly.
• To capture or assault without warning.
• To gift something to a person unexpectedly. Giving a gift to someone.
• To provoke someone to perform an unintentional action through a trick.
• To surprise a person in an act of indiscretion.

Surprise As A Noun

• The act of surprise. The act of taking someone by surprise.
• Any sudden or unexpected event; a gift.
• The feeling or condition of someone surprising another person. Astonishment.
• Something that causes or has characteristics of surprise.
• To take someone by surprise.
• To arrive suddenly at a place and without warning.
• To catch someone unexpectedly and off guard.

Surprise As A Geographic Location

• Surprise, Arizona.
• Surprise, Indiana.
• Surprise, Nebraska.
• Surprise, New York.
• Surprise Station, California.

What Is The Origin Of The Word «Surprise»?

The origin of «surprise» presents different versions depending on the source. We will now review the information available about this word.

Historical Events

• 12th century, from Old French «sorprendre» surprise meant «to reach, take, invade.» Also, from Latin, «prendre» meant «to seize, to take.»
• 13th century, from Old French «surprise,» surprise meant «to take by surprise.»
• 14th century, from Old French «surprize,» surprise meant «unexpected attack or capture.»
• In 1590, it meant «something unexpected» appeared.
• In 1600, it referred to the «sensation of astonishment caused by something unexpected» or when it appeared.
• In 1650, «to strike with astonishment» appeared.
• In 1690, «to take by surprise» appeared.
• In 1708, the «extravagant dish» appeared.

Understanding The Origin Of The Word «Surprise»

«Surprise» is one of the five commonly used English words ending in «prise.» The other words are «apprise,» «comprise,» «enterprise,» and «reprise.» This suffix comes from the French «prise,» which means «taken.» This French word comes in turn from the Latin «prehensus.»

This fact means that words ending in «prise» are related to apprehension and comprehension. These are words that came into English directly from Latin and had no influence from French.

The «sur» part of surprise also comes from French and means «above» or «beyond.» If a person is surprised, they are «surpassed» by something they did not see coming.

People first used the word surprise in English to refer to an unexpected attack or ambush by a group of soldiers.

Over time «surprise» took on a more positive meaning. For this reason, we now associate it with something we will enjoy, such as a birthday present we were not expecting. It is curious to know that the words people use most often in their regular vocabulary are «surprise» and «pleasant.»

What Is The Meaning Of The Word «Suprise»?

As we studied previously, «suprise» as a word does not exist. It is an incorrect spelling of the word surprise. This spelling error occurs by omitting the letter «r» that would normally be between the «U» and the «P.»

How Do People Use The Word «Surprise»?

Now that we know the meaning of the word «surprise,» it is elementary to know the most common uses. All the uses of «surprise» are related to the action of surprising someone or surprising oneself. Here are some of them.

• To indicate astonishment due to some specific event.
• To describe someone’s expression of astonishment.
• To indicate the action of giving an unexpected gift to someone.

The «Surprise Factor» In Storytelling

The surprise factor is a method used in storytelling to provoke a visceral and unexpected reaction in the audience. The technique consists of creating a story seeking to produce a specific perception of events, only to reveal it to be false, the reality being the complete opposite of the audience’s original perception.

Many authors use this technique in stories of humor, drama, suspense, mystery, and action. The more unexpected the story’s final twist, the more successful the application of the «surprise factor.» This unexpected outcome is not always positive or comic; sometimes, it can also be tragic.

In the humorous genre, experts believe that humor’s essence depends on the relevance of the content and the surprise factor. The explanation is straightforward: the audience always expects the themes of such plots to be familiar and exciting. But the climax of the humorous act comes with the plot twist, which is usually unrelated to what the audience expected.

These unexpected twists are the definition of the surprise factor. For this reason, knowing a joke beforehand is not funny since what is funny is that the outcome is something unique, something that no one saw coming.

Examples Of The Use Of The Word «Surprise» In Everyday Sentences

The truth is that the road we traveled to get here was full of surprises. As we are nearing the end of this post, we will show you simple examples of the word «surprise» in different sentences.

• My only intention was to give you a pleasant surprise. I never thought you would be scared like that.
• I have told you countless times that I do not like surprises, neither good nor bad.
• I was surprised when I was promoted from written content to editing.
• To Elisa’s surprise, her restructuring proposal did not have much support.
• The look of surprise on Susan’s face was indescribable.
• I can’t give Peter a surprise party if we can’t get him to come on Saturday.
• Sarah looked surprised when she saw the ad for a content manager, then focused on the qualifications to see if she could apply.
• It gets harder and harder to surprise Rachel. She always finds out at the last minute.
• The more I hear you, the bigger my surprise gets. I never thought I would listen to you say those words.

A Final Thought On The Word «Surprise»

We can’t hear the word «surprise» and remain indifferent. This word generates emotions every time we use it. The marvelous aspect is that we were able to review a lot of relevant and fun information simultaneously.

In this article, we studied the following aspects:

• We clarified the differences between «surprise» and «suprise.»
• We presented several definitions of «surprise.»
• We also reviewed the origin of this word in a fascinating historical tour.
• We looked at the uses of surprise and also learned about its usefulness in the narrative world.
• And finally, we finished with some practical examples in this term.

This journey of knowledge is training to strengthen the writing muscle and the communication muscle. It is a routine that we should continue to practice regularly to benefit our use of the language.

• Defenition of the word surprise

  • Something unexpected.
  • The feeling that something unexpected has happened.
  • To cause someone to feel surprise.
  • To discover unexpectedly.
  • attack by storm; attack suddenly
  • a sudden unexpected event
  • the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
  • take unawares or by surprise; cause to be surprised; «The news really surprised me»
  • take unawares; «She surprised the couple»; «He surprised an interesting scene»
  • the act of surprising someone
  • cause to be surprised; «The news really surprised me»
  • come upon or take unawares; «She surprised the couple»; «He surprised an interesting scene»
  • cause to be surprised
  • come upon or take unawares

Synonyms for the word surprise

• • alarm
  • amaze
  • amazement
  • astonish
  • astonishment
  • astound
  • blow
  • bolt from the blue
  • bombshell
  • bowl over
  • burst in on
  • catch napping
  • catch unawares
  • come upon
  • daze
  • disbelief
  • disclosure
  • disrupt
  • disturb
  • dumbfound
  • flabbergast
  • frighten
  • interrupt
  • intrude on
  • render speechless
  • revelation
  • scare
  • shock
  • shocker
  • stagger
  • startle
  • storm
  • stun
  • surprisal
  • surprising
  • take aback
  • take by surprise
  • take the wind out of your sails
  • wonder

Similar words in the surprise

• • surprise
  • surprised
  • surprises

Hyponyms for the word surprise

• • amaze
  • astonish
  • astound
  • ball over
  • blindside
  • blow
  • blow out of the water
  • boggle
  • bombshell
  • bowl over
  • catch
  • coup de theatre
  • explode a bombshell
  • eye opener
  • flabbergast
  • floor
  • peripeteia
  • peripetia
  • peripety
  • shock
  • stun
  • stunner
  • take aback
  • thunderbolt
  • thunderclap

Hypernyms for the word surprise

• • act
  • affect
  • alteration
  • amazement
  • assail
  • astonishment
  • attack
  • change
  • disruption
  • impress
  • modification
  • move
  • perturbation
  • strike

See other words

• • What is supervisor
  • The definition of volatility
  • The interpretation of the word superpower
  • What is meant by vol
  • The lexical meaning superior
  • The dictionary meaning of the word sunspace
  • The grammatical meaning of the word sunset
  • Meaning of the word sunrise
  • Literal and figurative meaning of the word voicegram
  • The origin of the word surrender
  • Synonym for the word survey
  • Antonyms for the word survival
  • Homonyms for the word volunteer
  • Hyponyms for the word suture
  • Holonyms for the word swagger
  • Hypernyms for the word vomitus
  • Proverbs and sayings for the word swallow
  • Translation of the word in other languages swan

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsurprisingsur‧pris‧ing /səˈpraɪzɪŋ $ sər-/ ●●● S3 W3 adjective
 
 SURPRISEDunusual or unexpected
 She told me a surprising thing.
 A surprising number of his paintings have survived.it is surprising (that)
 It is not surprising that most parents experience occasional difficulties.it is surprising how/what etc
 It’s surprising how quickly you get used to things.
 It is hardly surprising that new mothers often suffer from depression. THESAURUSsurprising making you feel surprisedIt’s surprising how quickly you get used to it.We got some very surprising results.astonishing/astounding very surprising. Astounding sounds a little more formal and a little stronger than astonishingThe results of the tests were astounding.Things are changing at an astonishing speed.extraordinary very unusual and surprisingIt is extraordinary that such a young boy should be so good at maths. amazing very surprising – used especially about good or impressive thingsan amazing achievementIt’s amazing what you can do when you really try.staggering very surprising, especially by being so largeThe project cost a staggering $8 million.unbelievable (also incredible) so surprising that you can hardly believe itIt is unbelievable that she is only the same age as me.The incredible thing is that he thinks he is ugly. Examples from the Corpussurprising• Which, given the way Wally rambles on, is scarcely surprising.• Some of the conclusions in the report were quite surprising.• It is a particularly surprising conclusion for so reductionist a subject as physics.• And it was surprising how frequently they found it necessary to motor down to Edmonton or Calgary.• Liddy really didn’t want to change school, but it was surprising how quickly she got used to the new one.• This is surprising in view of the fact that over a longer term measurements can vary by much more than this.• There are a surprising number of taxis for such a small city.• A surprising number of teenagers leave school without being able to read and write.• Whether it also explains the equally surprising surge in menswear demand is less clear.• It wasn’t surprising that her path and Guido’s hadn’t crossed.• Wasn’t it surprising that so few people came to the party?• Even more surprising there are no stars: a deficiency which today usually condemns a climb to total obscurity.• In such a small town it was surprising to find so many really good restaurants.hardly surprising• These distortions are the very essence of prejudice, and it is hardly surprising that conflict with Peter had arisen.• Given the ferocious imagination of his subconscious, it’s hardly surprising that his celluloid output is laced with lethal barbed wire.• Given such an approach it is hardly surprising that relations between pacifist and Communist opponents of the war during 1939-40 proved difficult.• And it is hardly surprising that she did not think of tongue speaking as a possible exception.• Under these circumstances it was hardly surprising that the police adopted a laissez-faire policy.