SURPRISE

surprise, surprisal

(noun) the act of surprising someone

surprise

(noun) a sudden unexpected event

surprise

(noun) the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

surprise

(verb) cause to be surprised; ā€œThe news really surprised meā€

storm, surprise

(verb) attack by storm; attack suddenly

surprise

(verb) come upon or take unawares; ā€œShe surprised the coupleā€; ā€œHe surprised an interesting sceneā€

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

surprise (countable and uncountable, plural surprises)

Something unexpected.

The feeling that something unexpected has happened.

(obsolete) A dish covered with a crust of raised pastry, but with no other contents.

Synonyms

• (something unexpected): more than one bargained for

• (attributively: unexpected): unexpected

• (feeling): astonishment

Verb

surprise (third-person singular simple present surprises, present participle surprising, simple past and past participle surprised)

(transitive) To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.

(transitive) To do something to (a person) that they are not expecting, as a surprise.

(intransitive) To undergo or witness something unexpected.

(intransitive) To cause surprise.

(transitive) To attack unexpectedly.

(transitive) To take unawares.

Synonyms

• (to come upon unexpectedly): overtake

Anagrams

• spurries, uprisers

Source: Wiktionary


Sur*prise", n. Etym: [F. surprise, fr. surprendre, surpris; sur over + prendre to take, L. prehendere. See Sur-, and Prehensile.]

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

2. 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. Pure surprise and fear Made me to quit the house. Shak.

3. Anything that causes such a state or emotion.

4. A dish covered with a crust of raised paste, but with no other contents. [Obs.] King. Surprise party, a party of persons who assemble by mutual agreement, and without invitation, at the house of a common friend. [U.S.] Bartlett.

Syn.

– Wonder; astonishment; amazement.

Sur*prise", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Surprised; p. pr. & vb. n. Surprising.] Etym: [From Surprise, n.: cf. F. surprendre, p.p. surpris.]

1. To come or fall suddenly and unexpectedly; to take unawares; to seize or capture by unexpected attack. Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Isa. xxxiii. 14. The castle of Macduff I will surprise. Shak. Who can speak The mingled passions that surprised his heart Thomson.

2. To strike with wonder, astonishment, or confusion, by something sudden, unexpected, or remarkable; to confound; as, his conduct surprised me. I am surprised with an uncouth fear. Shak. Up he starts, Discovered and surprised. Milton.

3. 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.

4. To hold possession of; to hold. [Obs.] Not with me, That in my hands surprise the sovereignity. J. Webster.

Syn.

– See Astonish.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

14 November 2024

FRISK

(noun) the act of searching someone for concealed weapons or illegal drugs; ā€œhe gave the suspect a quick friskā€


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Coffee Trivia

The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.

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