surprise

/sə'praiz/

Thân thiện

The children planned a surprise party for their mother.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • The feeling caused by something unexpected: The astonishment or amazement you experience when something happens that you did not anticipate.
   • An unexpected event: Something that happens suddenly and without warning, causing the feeling of surprise.
   • The act of causing this feeling: The action of taking someone unawares or doing something unexpected to them.

2. Verb:

   • To cause to feel surprise: To make someone feel astonished or amazed by something unexpected.
   • To attack or discover suddenly: To come upon, attack, or find someone or something when they are not expecting it.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Her face showed complete surprise when she saw the party.
  • The announcement came as a total surprise to everyone.
  • He planned the visit as a surprise for his wife.

• Verb:

  • The test results surprised the teacher.
  • The soldiers surprised the enemy at dawn.
  • I was surprised to see him there.

Advanced Usage

• "To take someone by surprise": To happen or act in a way that someone is completely unprepared for.

  • The sudden rainstorm took all the hikers by surprise.

• "A surprise attack": A military assault launched without warning.

  • The castle fell after a devastating surprise attack.

• "To surprise someone into doing something": To cause someone to do something suddenly or without thinking because they are shocked.

  • His direct question surprised her into telling the truth.

Variants and Related Words

• Surprised (adjective): Feeling or showing surprise.

  • She had a surprised look on her face.

• Surprising (adjective): Causing surprise; unexpected.

  • It was a surprising turn of events.

• Surprisingly (adverb): In a way that causes surprise.

  • The food was surprisingly good.

Synonyms

• Noun: Amazement, astonishment, shock, revelation.
• Verb: Astonish, amaze, startle, stun, catch unawares.

Related Phrases and Phrasal Verbs

• Spring a surprise on someone: To do something unexpected to someone.

  • He sprang a surprise on us by announcing his retirement.

• Surprise, surprise (idiomatic expression): Used ironically to comment on something that was entirely predictable.

  • Surprise, surprise, he's late again.

Related Idioms

• A bolt from the blue: A complete surprise, like a sudden flash of lightning from a clear sky.

  • The news of his resignation was a bolt from the blue.

• To catch someone off guard: To surprise someone by doing something they are not prepared for.

  • The tricky question caught the politician off guard.

Học thuật

Noun

1. the act of surprising someone
2. a sudden unexpected event
3. the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

Verb

1. attack by storm; attack suddenly
2. come upon or take unawares
   • She surprised the couple
   • He surprised an interesting scene
3. cause to be surprised
   • The news really surprised me

Từ đồng nghĩa

• surprisal
• storm