INDEX:
1. surprised
2. a feeling of being surprised
3. so surprised that you cannot speak
4. to make someone surprised
5. making you feel surprised
6. something that happens which surprises you
7. not surprising
RELATED WORDS
shocked by something bad that happens : ↑ SHOCKED/SHOCKING
see also
↑ EXPECT
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1. surprised
▷ surprised /səʳˈpraɪzd/ [adjective]
if you are surprised by something that happens, you do not expect it, so it seems strange or unusual :
▪ I was really surprised when I passed my driving test first time.
▪ Carrie looked surprised. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here!’
▪ We couldn’t help laughing at the children’s surprised faces.
surprised to see/hear/learn etc
▪ We were surprised to see Drew’s picture in the newspaper.
surprised (that)
▪ I’m really surprised that he remembered my birthday.
surprised at
▪ When I saw him again, I was surprised at how much older he looked.
surprised by
▪ Julia seemed a little surprised by my question.
pleasantly surprised
surprised when something unexpectedly good happens
▪ His exam results were great - we were all very pleasantly surprised.
▷ amazed /əˈmeɪzd/ [adjective]
use this about something that surprises you so much you almost cannot believe it :
▪ Liz was amazed when she found out how much dinner had cost.
amazed that
▪ I’m amazed that the bank keeps lending him money.
amazed to see/learn/find out etc
▪ We were amazed to see John looking so well, so soon after his operation.
amazed at/by
▪ She couldn’t help feeling amazed at his stupidity.
amazed by
▪ You’ll be amazed by how much progress we’ve made.
▷ astonished/astounded /əˈstɒnɪʃtǁəˈstɑː-, əˈstaʊndə̇d/ [adjective]
extremely surprised by something that happens, because it is very unusual or strange :
▪ Mark was astonished when he read the message - what on earth could she mean?
▪ We climbed out of the hole right in front of two astounded policemen.
astonished/astounded (that)
▪ It was an extremely nasty accident and I was astonished that anyone had survived it.
astonished/astounded at/by
▪ Everton admits to being astounded at the popularity of the book.
astonished/astounded to hear/see/discover etc
▪ The whole town was astounded to hear of a plan to build an office building right next to the lake.
▷ be taken aback /biː ˌteɪkən əˈbæk/ [verb phrase]
to be so surprised or shocked by what someone has done or said that, for a moment, you do not know what to say :
▪ I was taken aback to find an elderly woman sitting inside the door of the men’s room.
be taken aback by
▪ I was completely taken aback by his aggressive and unreasonable attitude.
▷ startled /ˈstɑːʳtld/ [adjective] especially written
surprised and a little frightened or worried because of something that has suddenly happened or something that someone said :
▪ ‘Have we met somewhere before?’ The man looked startled for a moment.
startled by
▪ They were startled by a sudden flash in the sky.
▷ flabbergasted /ˈflæbəʳgɑːstɪd, ˈflæbəʳgɑːstədǁ-gæs-/ [adjective] informal
so surprised by something that has happened that you do not know what to say :
▪ The delivery men just left the furniture in my front yard. I was flabbergasted.
flabbergasted at/by
▪ Doctors said they were flabbergasted at the decision to close the hospital.
▷ can’t get over /ˌkɑːnt get ˈəʊvəʳǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase]
if you can’t get over something that has happened, you are so surprised by it that you cannot believe it :
▪ Madge couldn’t get over how much Joe had grown since she’d last seen him.
▪ I can’t get over how much she eats - why doesn’t she gain any weight?
▷ can’t believe /ˌkɑːnt bə̇ˈliːvǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
say this when you are very surprised by something because it does not seem possible :
can’t believe it
▪ I can’t believe it! Jane and Richard are getting married.
can’t believe (that)
▪ She was a brilliant pianist -- we couldn’t believe she was only 15.
can’t believe your eyes/ears
▪ The letter invited me to fly first class to New York for an interview on Monday - I could not believe my eyes!
2. a feeling of being surprised
▷ surprise /səʳˈpraɪz/ [uncountable noun]
somebody’s surprise
▪ You can imagine my surprise when I saw my sister’s photograph on a magazine cover.
surprise at
▪ I expressed some surprise at the elaborate welcome which had been prepared for me.
in/with surprise
▪ Sam stared at his girlfriend in surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.
to somebody’s surprise/to the surprise of somebody
▪ To everyone’s complete surprise, the Labour Party lost the election.
▷ amazement /əˈmeɪzmənt/ [uncountable noun]
a feeling of great surprise, especially because something has happened that you almost cannot believe :
in/with amazement
▪ Fans looked on in amazement as Robbins missed a third goal for the team.
▪ Nina looked at me with amazement. ‘I don’t believe you,’ she said.
to somebody’s amazement/to the amazement of somebody
▪ To our amazement, when we returned to China, the Moso tree had grown an impressive ninety feet.
▷ astonishment /əˈstɒnɪʃməntǁəˈstɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
a feeling of great surprise, especially at something you have seen or something someone has told you :
▪ You should have seen the look of astonishment on his face!
in/with astonishment
▪ Everyone gasped in astonishment as the cars came around the last bend.
to somebody’s astonishment/to the astonishment of somebody
▪ To everyone’s astonishment, more than 100 people volunteered to help that day.
3. so surprised that you cannot speak
▷ speechless /ˈspiːtʃləs/ [adjective not before noun]
so surprised, by something very good or very bad, that you do not know what to say :
▪ When I told him I was pregnant, he was totally speechless.
▪ Brian’s remark left his boss speechless with anger.
▷ be lost for words/be at a loss for words /biː ˌlɒst fəʳ ˈwɜːʳdzǁ-ˌlɔːst-, biː ət ə ˌlɒs fəʳ ˈwɜːʳdzǁ-ˌlɔːs-/ [verb phrase]
to feel so surprised and full of emotion that you are unable to speak :
▪ She rang me and told me that Tom had died. For once in my life I was lost for words.
▪ When I saw the devastation from our window in the morning, I was at a loss for words.
▷ dumbfounded/dumbstruck /dʌmˈfaʊndɪd, dʌmˈfaʊndəd, ˈdʌmstrʌk/ [adjective]
so surprised by something unexpected that has happened that you are confused and unable to speak :
▪ I just remember feeling dumbstruck when I heard that John Lennon was dead.
▪ Suddenly the stewardess started screaming while the passengers watched, dumbfounded.
▷ gobsmacked /ˈgɒbsmæktǁˈgɑːb-/ [adjective not before noun] British informal
so surprised that you cannot speak :
▪ ‘How did you feel when you heard that your wife was expecting triplets?’ ‘Gobsmacked - absolutely gobsmacked.’
4. to make someone surprised
▷ surprise /səʳˈpraɪz/ [transitive verb]
▪ Diana’s reaction surprised him - he hadn’t realized that she was so upset.
▪ The exam was actually quite easy, which surprised me.
what surprises somebody is
▪ What surprised me most was how cheap everything was compared to at home.
it surprises somebody that
▪ I have to say, it surprises me that they haven’t gone bankrupt before now.
surprise yourself
do something that you thought you could not do, so that you are surprised
▪ Why don’t you just have a go at skiing? You might surprise yourself.
▷ be a surprise/come as a surprise /biː ə səʳˈpraɪz, ˌkʌm əz ə səʳˈpraɪz/ [verb phrase]
if something is a surprise, or if it comes as a surprise, it surprises you :
▪ ‘Bob and Linda are getting divorced.’ ‘That’s a surprise -- they seemed like the perfect couple.’
▪ The firing of the team’s star pitcher came as a surprise to fans and sports writers alike.
a complete surprise
a big surprise
▪ My brother’s sudden visit home was a complete surprise.
be a surprise/come as a surprise to somebody
▪ The announcement of his resignation was a complete surprise to everyone in the office.
it comes as a surprise to see/learn/find etc
▪ It comes as a surprise to learn what a high rate of illiteracy there is in this country.
▷ amaze /əˈmeɪz/ [transitive verb not usually in progressive]
to make someone feel extremely surprised, especially because something is very hard to believe :
▪ Dave amazed his friends by leaving a well-paid job to travel around the world.
it amazes somebody that
▪ It amazes me that no-one has thought of the idea sooner.
▷ astonish/astound /əˈstɒnɪʃǁəˈstɑː-, əˈstaʊnd/ [transitive verb not usually in progressive]
to make someone feel extremely surprised :
▪ My father’s reaction astounded me. How could he be so calm!
▪ Tammy astonished her doctors by learning to walk again within weeks of the accident.
▪ They astounded audiences with their fanciful costumes and their fascinating tales.
what astonishes/astounds somebody is
▪ What astonishes me is how incredibly inefficient so many companies seem to be.
▷ take somebody by surprise also catch somebody by surprise American /ˌteɪk somebody baɪ səʳˈpraɪz, ˌkætʃ somebody baɪ səʳˈpraɪz/ [verb phrase]
if something takes you by surprise, it happens at a time when you are not expecting it :
▪ The President’s resignation took everyone by surprise.
▪ The vehemence of her response took me by surprise.
5. making you feel surprised
▷ surprising /səʳˈpraɪzɪŋ/ [adjective]
▪ A surprising number of teenagers leave school without being able to read and write.
▪ Some of the conclusions in the report were quite surprising.
it is surprising (that)
▪ Wasn’t it surprising that so few people came to the party?
it is surprising to see/find/ learn etc
▪ In such a small town it was surprising to find so many really good restaurants.
it is surprising how/what etc
▪ Liddy really didn’t want to change school, but it was surprising how quickly she got used to the new one.
surprisingly [adverb]
▪ The hotel was surprisingly cheap.
▪ Surprisingly, the roof is still in good condition since the storms.
▷ amazing /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/ [adjective]
very surprising - use this especially about something very good or impressive :
▪ Hong Kong is an absolutely amazing city.
▪ What an amazing achievement!
it is amazing how/what
▪ It’s amazing how much work you can do in a day if you put your mind to it.
it is amazing that
▪ After 2000 years, it’s amazing that the inscriptions are still clear enough to read.
it’s amazing to see/find/think etc
▪ Isn’t it amazing to think that men have actually stood on the moon?
amazingly [adverb]
▪ Chris was amazingly lucky to pass the exam.
▪ Five cars crashed into each other, but amazingly no-one was hurt.
▷ astonishing/astounding /əˈstɒnɪʃɪŋǁəˈstɑː-, əˈstaʊndɪŋ/ [adjective]
something that is astonishing or astounding is so surprising that it is difficult to believe :
▪ If you watch the way a spider makes its web, it’s really astonishing.
▪ The submarine was moving through the water at an astonishing speed.
▪ The results of the tests were astounding.
▪ In the area around London, house prices rose by an astounding 200 per cent in three years.
it is astonishing/astounding that
▪ It was astounding that, as a mother, Sally also managed to do two jobs.
it is astonishing how/what
▪ It’s astonishing how much things have changed since the arrival of computers.
it is astonishing to find/think/realize etc
▪ Isn’t it astonishing to think that people may one day live for hundreds of years?
▷ unbelievable/incredible /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəb ə l, ɪnˈkredə̇b ə l/ [adjective]
extremely surprising and difficult to believe :
▪ He’s so rude. It’s unbelievable!
▪ Over the next two weeks, we saw an incredible change in her character.
it is unbelievable/incredible that
▪ They were driving much too fast. It’s incredible that no-one was hurt.
it is unbelievable how/what
▪ I think it was really unbelievable how he went on deceiving her for all those years.
it is unbelievable to see/think/realize etc
▪ It’s unbelievable to think how slow things were in the days before e-mail.
unbelievably/incredibly [adverb]
▪ Throughout the crisis, Bill remained incredibly calm.
▪ It was a fantastic hotel, and unbelievably cheap.
▷ unexpected /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd◂, ˌʌnɪkˈspektəd◂/ [adjective]
something that is unexpected makes you feel surprised because you did not expect it to happen or be true :
▪ Her decision to leave was completely unexpected.
▪ The new drug comes from an unexpected source -- potatoes.
▪ Ella’s angry outburst was so unexpected that Mike really didn’t know what to say.
unexpectedly [adverb]
▪ Phil arrived unexpectedly early, while we were still having lunch.
▷ startling /ˈstɑːʳtlɪŋ/ [adjective]
a startling fact is one that you would never have expected to be true :
▪ There has been a startling increase in the numbers of homeless people.
▪ The programme documents startling new theories about the way the universe began.
▷ staggering /ˈstæg ə rɪŋ/ [adjective]
a staggering number or amount is very surprising because it is so large :
▪ Apparently, we spend a staggering £2.4 billion a year on food for our pets.
▪ a staggering rise in crime
▪ The results of the survey were staggering - over half the children said that they went to school without any breakfast.
▷ mind-boggling /ˈmaɪnd ˌbɒglɪŋǁ-ˌbɑː-/ [adjective] informal
something that is mind-boggling is so big, strange, or complicated that it is almost impossible to imagine or believe :
▪ The amount of money that some countries spend on weapons is mind-boggling.
▪ His salary is nothing compared to the mind-boggling figures earned by some sportsmen.
it is mind-boggling to think/realize etc
▪ It’s mind-boggling to think that our solar system is only one among billions.
6. something that happens which surprises you
▷ surprise /səʳˈpraɪz/ [countable noun]
something that you did not expect, especially something nice :
it is a surprise
▪ It was a real surprise when Tony walked in. We thought he was still in America.
▪ We’ve got Katie a bike for her birthday, but don’t tell her - it’s a surprise.
a complete surprise
one that you did not expect at all
▪ Anita didn’t expect to get the job - it came as a complete surprise.
as a surprise
▪ Apparently her husband bought her the car as an anniversary surprise.
what a surprise!
spoken
▪ Flowers? For me! What a lovely surprise!
▷ shock /ʃɒkǁʃɑːk/ [countable noun]
something bad or unpleasant that happens to you that you did not expect :
▪ ‘The bill came to £500.’ ‘That must have been a shock.’
get a shock
▪ We got a terrible shock when the police rang to say that they had arrested our daughter.
give somebody a shock
▪ It gave me a shock when I realized how close I had come to being killed.
▷ surprise /səʳˈpraɪz/ [adjective only before noun]
happening unexpectedly so that people are surprised :
▪ Josh’s friends gave him a surprise party to celebrate his 21st birthday.
▪ The US were concerned about the possibility of a surprise attack by air or by sea.
▪ Later, there was a surprise appearance by Schwazenneger himself.
▷ shock /ʃɒkǁʃɑːk/ [adjective only before noun]
unpleasantly surprising because the result is different from what you expected :
▪ Liverpool suffered a shock defeat at Halifax last night, beaten by five goals to nil.
▪ The chairman made a shock announcement that 500 employees would lose their jobs.
7. not surprising
▷ not surprising/hardly surprising /ˌnɒt səʳˈpraɪzɪŋ, ˌhɑːʳdli səʳˈpraɪzɪŋ/
if something is not surprising or hardly surprising, you are not surprised by it because the situation makes it very likely to happen :
▪ Now she’s frightened to go out at night, which is hardly surprising after what happened to her.
it is not surprising/hardly surprising (that)
▪ It’s not surprising that you’re tired - you’ve been out every night this week.
not surprisingly [adverb]
▪ Not surprisingly, she was very annoyed when he didn’t turn up.
▷ be no surprise/come as no surprise /biː ˌnəʊ səʳˈpraɪz, ˌkʌm əz ˌnəʊ səʳˈpraɪz/ [verb phrase]
if something is no surprise or comes as no surprise, you are not surprised when it happens, because you expected it to happen :
it is no surprise/it comes as no surprise
▪ It came as no surprise when President Santos announced his resignation.
▪ Both Jade’s parents are doctors so it was no surprise when she went to medical school.
be no surprise/come as no surprise that
▪ After years of struggle, it came as no surprise that the company went bankrupt.
be no surprise/come as no surprise to
▪ It was no surprise to anyone when they finally said that they were getting a divorce.
▷ I’m not surprised /aɪm ˌnɒt səʳˈpraɪzd/ spoken
say this when you are not surprised about something bad that has happened because you can clearly see the reasons for it :
▪ ‘I’m starving.’ ‘I’m not surprised, you haven’t eaten all day.’
I’m not surprised (that)
▪ I’m not surprised that she’s fed up with him.
▷ no wonder /nəʊ ˈwʌndəʳ/ spoken
say this when you realize the reason why something happened, so that it is not surprising any more :
▪ No wonder my camera wasn’t working - there’s no battery in it!