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surprising

   Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.03 sec.
sur·prise  (sr-prz)
tr.v. sur·prised, sur·pris·ing, sur·pris·es
1. To encounter suddenly or unexpectedly; take or catch unawares.
2. To attack or capture suddenly and without warning.
3. To cause to feel wonder, astonishment, or amazement, as at something unanticipated.
4.
a. To cause (someone) to do or say something unintended.
b. To elicit or detect through surprise.
n.
1. The act of surprising or the condition of being surprised.
2. Something, such as an unexpected encounter, event, or gift, that surprises.

[Middle English surprisen, to overcome, from Old French surprise, feminine past participle of surprendre, to surprise : sur-, sur- + prendre, to take (from Latin prehendere, prndere, to seize; see ghend- in Indo-European roots).]

sur·priser n.
sur·prising·ly adv.
Synonyms: surprise, astonish, amaze, astound, dumbfound, flabbergast
These verbs mean to affect a person strongly as being unexpected or unusual. To surprise is to fill with often sudden wonder or disbelief as being unanticipated or out of the ordinary: "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity" George S. Patton.
Astonish suggests overwhelming surprise: The sight of such an enormous crowd astonished us.
Amaze implies astonishment and often bewilderment: The violinist's virtuosity has amazed audiences all over the world.
Astound connotes shock, as from something unprecedented in one's experience: We were astounded at the beauty of the mountains.
Dumbfound adds to astound the suggestion of perplexity and often speechlessness: His question dumbfounded me, and I could not respond.
Flabbergast is used as a more colorful equivalent of astound, astonish, or amaze: "The aldermen ... were ... flabbergasted; they were speechless from bewilderment" Benjamin Disraeli.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.surprising - causing surprise or wonder or amazement; "the report shows a surprising lack of hard factual data"; "leaped up with surprising agility"; "she earned a surprising amount of money"
unexpected - not expected or anticipated; "unexpected guests"; "unexpected news"
unsurprising - not causing surprise

surprising
Translations

surprising [səˈpraɪzɪŋ] adjsorprendente
surprising [səˈpraɪzɪŋ] surprise adjsurprenant(e)étonnant(e)
surprising [səˈpraɪzɪŋ] surprise adjüberraschend;
(situation) → erstaunlich;
it is surprising how/that surprise → es ist erstaunlich, wie/dass
surprising [səˈpraɪzɪŋ] adjsorprendente, stupefacente


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
"You have been a good client to me," the Attorney replied, gathering up his books and papers, "but I must say you betray a surprising ignorance of the purpose of litigation.
The facts relating to this apparition (entered in various log-books) agreed in most respects as to the shape of the object or creature in question, the untiring rapidity of its movements, its surprising power of locomotion, and the peculiar life with which it seemed endowed.
Nor is that surprising, seeing that the family lives in a single room, with only a screen to divide it for decency's sake.
 
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