surprised

surprised — adjective

1. the feeling you have when something sudden and unplanned takes place — for examp

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

the feeling you have when something sudden and unplanned takes place — for example, hearing news you never thought would come, or running into a person you never thought you would see again.

Example

Yara looked surprised when Pedro walked into the room holding a birthday cake.

look + adjective for visible emotion

Amelia was surprised to find her lost wallet returned with all its cash inside.

surprised + to find + that-clause

Common collocations
  • look surprised
  • sound surprised
  • feel surprised
  • act surprised
  • surprised expression
  • surprised look
  • surprised gasp
  • be surprised at
  • be surprised by
  • be surprised to
Synonyms
  • astonished

    stronger, suggests something hard to believe

  • amazed

    includes a sense of wonder or admiration

  • shocked

    usually for unpleasant, disturbing surprises

  • stunned

    so surprised that you cannot react for a moment

Antonyms
  • unsurprised

    opposite feeling — you expected it to happen

  • calm

    not showing any strong emotional reaction

Grammar Patterns

surprised + at + noun/gerund

surprised + by + noun/phrase

surprised + to + infinitive

surprised + that + clause

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'at', 'by', 'to + infinitive', or a 'that' clause. 'Surprised at something' emphasises the situation that caused the feeling; 'surprised by something' emphasises the action or event itself.

Common Mistakes

I am very surprise to see you.
I am very surprised to see you.
'surprised' is the adjective form, not 'surprise'.
She was surprised from the news.
She was surprised at/by the news.
'surprised' takes 'at' or 'by', not 'from'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe a reaction to something unexpected, but they differ in strength and tone. 'Surprised' is the most general and mildest — you might be surprised by a friend arriving early. 'Astonished' is stronger and suggests something hard to believe, like hearing a fact that seems impossible. 'Amazed' adds a sense of wonder or admiration — for example, being amazed by a child's artistic talent. 'Shocked' carries a negative tone and is used for disturbing or unpleasant surprises, such as shocking news about an accident. 'Stunned' implies you are so surprised that you cannot move or speak for a moment, like being stunned by a sudden loud noise.

surprised ↗astonished ↗amazed ↗shocked ↗stunned

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from the verb 'surprise', which entered English from Old French 'surprendre' (to overtake, seize, or catch by surprise). 'Sur-' means 'over' or 'above', and 'prendre' means 'to take'. The adjective form 'surprised' developed in the 1600s to describe the feeling of being caught off guard by something unexpected.