surprising

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.
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.

See all 16 meanings of surprise