Definitions for surprise
sərˈpraɪz, sə-sur·prise

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. surprisenoun

   the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

2. surprisenoun

   a sudden unexpected event

3. surprise, surprisalverb

   the act of surprising someone

4. surpriseverb

   cause to be surprised

   "The news really surprised me"

5. surpriseverb

   come upon or take unawares

   "She surprised the couple"; "He surprised an interesting scene"

6. storm, surpriseverb

   attack by storm; attack suddenly

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. surprisenoun

   Something not expected.

   It was a surprise to find out I owed twice as much as I thought I did.

2. surprisenoun

   Unexpected.

   The surprise attack was devastating.

3. surprisenoun

   The feeling that something unexpected has happened.

   Imagine my surprise on learning I owed twice as much as I thought I did.

4. surpriseverb

   To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted.

   It surprises me that I owe twice as much as I thought I did.

5. surpriseverb

   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.

6. surpriseverb

   To undergo or witness something unexpected.

   He doesn't surprise easily.

7. surpriseverb

   To cause surprise.

8. surpriseverb

   To attack unexpectedly.

9. surpriseverb

   To take unawares.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Surprisal, Surprisenoun

   Etymology: surprise, French; from the verb.

   1. The act of taking unawares; the state of being taken unawares.

   Parents should mark heedfully the witty excuses of their children, especially at suddains and surprisals; but rather mark than pamper them Henry Wotton.

   This let him know,
   Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend
   Suprisal, unadmonish’d, unforewarn’d. John Milton, Par. Lost.

   I set aside the taking of St. Jago and St. Domingo in Hispaniola, as surprizes rather than encounters. Francis Bacon.

   This strange surprisal put the knight
   And wrathful squire into a fright. Hudibras.

   There is a vast difference between them, as vast as between inadvertency and deliberation, between surprize and set purpose. South.

   2. A dish, I suppose, which has nothing in it.

   Few care for carving trifles in disguise,
   Or that fantastick dish some call surprise. William King, Cookery.

   3. Sudden confusion or perplexity.

2. To SURPRISEverb

   Etymology: surpris, French, from surprendre.

   1. To take unawares; to fall upon unexpectedly.

   The castle of Macduff I will surprise,
   Seize upon Fife, give to the edge o’th’sword
   His wife, his babes. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   Now do our ears before our eyes,
   Like men in mists,
   Discover who’d the state surprize,
   And who resists. Ben Jonson.

   Bid her well beware,
   Lest, by some fair appearing good surpris’d,
   She dictate false, and misinform the will. John Milton.

   How shall he keep, what, sleeping or awake,
   A weaker may surprise, a stronger take? Alexander Pope.

   Who can speak
   The mingled passions that surpriz’d his heart! James Thomson.

   2. To astonish by something wonderful.

   People were not so much frighted as surprized at the bigness of the camel. Roger L'Estrange.

   3. To confuse or perplex by something sudden.

   Up he starts, discover’d and surpris’d. John Milton.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. surprise

   Surprise is a sudden unexpected event, fact, or thing that causes a strong emotional response, such as shock, disbelief, excitement or awe. It is an abrupt or startling change from an anticipated outcome or situation, often leading to a brief moment of disorientation or confusion. Surprise can also refer to the feeling experienced upon discovery of something new or unknown.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Surprisenoun

   the act of coming upon, or taking, unawares; the act of seizing unexpectedly; surprisal; as, the fort was taken by surprise

2. Surprisenoun

   the state of being surprised, or taken unawares, by some act or event which could not reasonably be foreseen; emotion excited by what is sudden and strange; a suddenly excited feeling of wonder or astonishment

3. Surprisenoun

   anything that causes such a state or emotion

4. Surprisenoun

   a dish covered with a crust of raised paste, but with no other contents

5. Surprisenoun

   to come or fall suddenly and unexpectedly; to take unawares; to seize or capture by unexpected attack

6. Surprisenoun

   to strike with wonder, astonishment, or confusion, by something sudden, unexpected, or remarkable; to confound; as, his conduct surprised me

7. Surprisenoun

   to lead (one) to do suddenly and without forethought; to bring (one) into some unexpected state; -- with into; as, to be surprised into an indiscretion; to be surprised into generosity

8. Surprisenoun

   to hold possession of; to hold

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Surprise

   sur-prīz′, n. act of taking unawares: the emotion caused by anything sudden: amazement.—v.t. to come upon suddenly or unawares: to lead or bring unawares, to betray (with into): to strike with wonder or astonishment: to confuse.—n. Surprīs′al, act of surprising.—adv. Surprīs′edly.—adj. Surprīs′ing, exciting surprise: wonderful: unexpected.—adv. Surprīs′ingly.—n. Surprīs′ingness. [Fr.,—surpris, pa.p. of surprendre—L. super, over, prehendĕre, to catch.]

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. surprise

   In war, to fall on an enemy unexpectedly, in marching through narrow and difficult passes, when one part of an army has passed, and is not able to come at once to the succor of the other; as in the passage of woods, rivers, inclosures, etc. A place is surprised by drains, casements, or the issues of rivers or canals; by encumbering the bridge or gate, or by wagons meeting and stopping each other; or by sending soldiers into the place, under pretense of being deserters, who, on entering, surprise the guard, being sustained by troops at hand in ambush, to whom they give entrance, and thereby seize the place. Military history abounds with instances of successful surprises.

Editors ContributionRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. surprise

   To bring, give or receive a joyful, logical and just contribution or gift.

   We all love our family so we regularly arrange a family gathering for us all, we love to surprise with the type of food we contribute.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on April 16, 2016  

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. surprise

   The surprise symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the surprise symbol and its characteristic.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. SURPRISE

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Surprise is ranked #43006 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Surprise surname appeared 503 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Surprise.
   
   85.2% or 429 total occurrences were White.
   8.5% or 43 total occurrences were Black.
   3.5% or 18 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   1.5% or 8 total occurrences were Asian.

Matched Categories

1. • Act
   • Affect
   • Astonishment
   • Attack
   • Change

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'surprise' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2153

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'surprise' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3235

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'surprise' in Nouns Frequency: #903

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'surprise' in Verbs Frequency: #894

How to pronounce surprise?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say surprise in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of surprise in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of surprise in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of surprise in a Sentence

1. Yukihiro Matsumoto:

   The principle of least surprise is not for you only. The principle of least surprise means principle of least my surprise.

2. David Moss:

   Consolidation per se in UK life insurance is not a surprise and is necessary, the surprise is perhaps that both businesses are not where they would want to be yet and are in the middle of restructuring programs of their own.

3. Robert South:

   Wonder is from surprise, and surprise stops with experience.

4. Charles Langbridge Morgan:

   There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved it is God's finger on man's shoulder.

5. Harm Bandholz:

   The risk for a negative surprise in August seems to be much larger than the risk for a positive surprise.

Popularity rank by frequency of use