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surprised

surprised

357 1.0
Feeling sudden wonder when something unexpected happens
  • adjective
  • /sərˈpraɪzd/
translation icon : sorprendido
  • I was genuinely surprised when my friends threw me a surprise birthday party.
  • very surprised
  • somewhat surprised
  • surprised to hear

No, they were surprised because it's not true.

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Examples

  • So my question for you is, were you surprised by how much kids cost?

  • Yeah, I was kind of surprised that Max was like next to me.

  • I mean, I was quite surprised how hard it was.

  • And I was so surprised by how much that hurt.

  • Are you surprised to hear from me?

  • While I knew of the journal and the school, I was quite surprised about this opportunity.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Another, whose child was learning disabled, seemed proud and surprised at what her child could do.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Many of the U.S. regulators were quite surprised at some of these decisions.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Needless to say, I was very surprised to hear from him.

  • I knew rhinos were in the area, but I was still surprised and delighted by my good fortune.

    Academic text (2006)

Synonyms

shocked
vssurprised
543 2.1

Feeling surprised and upset because something bad or unexpected happens

is neutral wonder and does not imply fear or upset
amazed
vssurprised
138 1.0

Very surprised in a way that shows wonder

is less intense and shows milder sudden wonder
stunned
vssurprised
29 3.0

Too shocked to move or think clearly

is less disabling and people usually still respond
to caught off guard
vssurprised
29 4.1

Surprised and not ready for something that happens suddenly

is a sudden feeling of wonder, not mere unpreparedness
astonished
vssurprised
21 2.7

Feeling very surprised by something unexpected or hard to believe

is milder and focuses on simple sudden wonder
flabbergasted
vssurprised
9 6.7

Very surprised and unable to speak

is less extreme and usually leaves people able to speak
astounded
vssurprised
7 3.8

Very surprised and unable to believe what happened

is strong but usually less overwhelming in feeling
thunderstruck
vssurprised
5 7.0

Very surprised and unable to speak or move

is less paralyzing and allows usual reactions
nonplussed
vssurprised
3 8.9

Very surprised and confused so you do not know what to say or do

is mainly sudden wonder without the strong confusion
wonder-struck
vssurprised
1 7.2

Feeling very amazed by something beautiful or strange

is more general and often less deeply moved
gobsmacked
vssurprised
  • UK
1 8.6

Very surprised and unable to speak

is milder and seldom causes complete silence
mite surprised
vssurprised
  • UK
1 6.8

A little shocked by something you did not expect

is stronger and shows clearer sudden astonishment
astonied
vssurprised
  • Archaic
9.9

Feeling very surprised and unable to speak or move

is less overwhelming and allows quicker recovery
staggered
vssurprised
4.4

Very surprised by something you did not expect

is milder and highlights wonder more than shock
startled
vssurprised
3.3

Feeling sudden surprise and often jumping

is calmer and focuses on wonder without alarm

Antonyms

5 5.3

Not worried or surprised by a sudden problem

2 2.7

Not reacting strongly when something unexpected happens

1.2

Likely to happen or be true

Idioms

1 6.8

A little shocked by something you did not expect

How Surprised

astonished
21 2.7
surprised
357 1.0
startled
3.3

Surface Forms

surprised positive
surprising comparative
surprisedest superlative

Morphology

surprised = surprise (transparent) = surprise + ed

Formed by adding the regular past-participle/adjectival suffix '-ed' to the verb 'surprise', so the adjectival meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Surprised comes from a Latin verb made of super- 'over' and prehendere 'to seize'. You can see the same idea in words like comprehend and apprehend, and so being surprised is like being suddenly 'caught' or 'seized', which is why it causes sudden wonder or astonishment.