Surprise

/sərˈpraɪz/

Meaning & Definition

noun

a feeling of shock or astonishment caused by something unexpected.

The surprise at the party left her speechless.

an unexpected event that causes astonishment.

The surprise was revealed when he opened the box.

an act of surprising someone.

They planned a surprise for her birthday.

verb

to cause someone to feel astonishment.

The news of their engagement surprised everyone.

to take someone unawares.

He was surprised by the sudden rain.

Middle English, from Old French 'surprendre', meaning 'to take over, seize; take by surprise'.

surprise party

A party organized as a surprise.

surprise ending

An unexpected conclusion to a story.

surprise visit

An unannounced visit.

astonish

To fill with sudden wonder.

unexpected

Not expected.

reveal

To make something known that was previously hidden.

Gotcha

When she walked in, I was like, 'Gotcha!'

Plot twist

The movie had a serious plot twist that left everyone surprised.