sur ‧ pris ‧ ing S3 W3 /səˈpraɪzɪŋ $ sər-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ surprised , ↑ surprising ≠ ↑ unsurprising ; verb : ↑ surprise ; noun : ↑ surprise ; adverb : ↑ surprisingly ≠ ↑ unsurprisingly ]
unusual or unexpected:
She told me a surprising thing.
A surprising number of his paintings have survived.
it is surprising (that)
It is not surprising that most parents experience occasional difficulties.
it is surprising how/what etc
It’s surprising how quickly you get used to things.
It is hardly surprising that new mothers often suffer from depression.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ surprising making you feel surprised:
It’s surprising how quickly you get used to it.
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We got some very surprising results.
▪ astonishing/astounding very surprising. Astounding sounds a little more formal and a little stronger than astonishing :
The results of the tests were astounding.
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Things are changing at an astonishing speed.
▪ extraordinary very unusual and surprising:
It is extraordinary that such a young boy should be so good at maths.
▪ amazing very surprising – used especially about good or impressive things:
an amazing achievement
|
It’s amazing what you can do when you really try.
▪ staggering very surprising, especially by being so large:
The project cost a staggering $8 million.
▪ unbelievable ( also incredible ) so surprising that you can hardly believe it:
It is unbelievable that she is only the same age as me.
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The incredible thing is that he thinks he is ugly.