surprise

Noun

surprise (countable and uncountable, plural surprises)

1. Something unexpected.
   • It was a surprise to find out I owed twice as much as I thought.
   • It came as a surprise when he succeed.
   1. A mess of feces, left by a pet or small child in an unexpected place or at an unexpected time.
      • After the housecleaners drove off, the cat left a surprise for us on the carpet.
2. The feeling that something unexpected has happened.
   • Imagine my surprise on learning I owed twice as much as I thought I did.
   • The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen.[…]The second note, the high alarum, not so familiar and always important since it indicates the paramount sin in Man’s private calendar, took most of them by surprise although...1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249

   Synonyms:

   astonishment

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.
   • It surprises me that I owe twice as much as I thought I did.
2. (transitive) 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.
   • My boss surprised me into admitting I left work early last week.
3. (intransitive) To undergo or witness something unexpected.
   • He doesn’t surprise easily.
4. (intransitive) To cause surprise.
5. (transitive) To attack unexpectedly.

   Synonyms:

   overtake

6. (transitive) To take unawares.
   • I surprised a raccoon scavenging through the garbage last night.
   • "You were right," replied Isabella, "and I should not have surprised your confidence, had I not had something I wished to say. I know what you mean to do with Mr. Glentworth's gift—a marriage would scarcely be one without wedding-dresses—he has been equally generous to me, and you must keep the...1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter IX, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 112

Interjection

1. Drawing attention to a surprising action by oneself.
   • "Surprise!" we shouted as we jumped out from the cupboard. "Happy birthday!"
2. (sarcastic) Drawing attention to something that should have been obvious.
   • When we add code modules, we will have an additional folder called (surprise!) Modules.2013, John Connell, Beginning Visual Basic 6 Database Programming, page 129

Proper noun capitalized: Surprise

Surprise

1. A city in Maricopa County, Arizona, the largest place with this name.
2. An unincorporated community in Jackson County, Indiana.
3. A village in Butler County, Nebraska.
4. A populated place in Greene County, New York.
5. Former name of Surprise Station, California.