surprise

Meanings

Noun

• Something unexpected.
• The feeling that something unexpected has happened.

Verb

• To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.
• To do something to (a person) that they are not expecting, as a surprise.
• To undergo or witness something unexpected.
• To cause surprise.
• To attack unexpectedly.
• To take unawares.

Related

Similar words

• more than one bargained for
• unexpected
• astonishment
• overtake

Origin

• From Middle English surprise, borrowed from Middle French surprise ("an overtake"), nominal use of the past participle of Old French sorprendre ("to overtake"), from sor- + prendre, from Latin super- + Latin prendere, contracted from prehendere. suppli.