surprise

See also: Surprise

surprise - English

Alternative forms

surprize (US, rare)

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA: /səˈpɹaɪz/
(General American) enPR: sərprīzʹ, IPA: /sɚˈpɹaɪz/
(General American, r-dissimilation) enPR: səprīzʹ, IPA: /səˈpɹaɪz/
Hyphenation: sur‧prise

Noun

surprise (countable and uncountable, plural surprises)

Something unexpected.
- It was a surprise to find out I owed twice as much as I thought I did.
The feeling that something unexpected has happened.
- Imagine my surprise on learning I owed twice as much as I thought I did.

Synonyms

(something unexpected): more than one bargained for
(attributively: unexpected): unexpected
(feeling): astonishment

Derived terms

Translations

Arabic: مُفَاجَأَة‎ (ar) f (mufājaʔa), دَهْشَة‎ f (dahša)
Armenian: անակնկալ (hy) (anaknkal)
Asturian: sorpresa f
Belarusian: сюрпры́з m (sjurprýz), неспадзе́ўка f (njespadzjéŭka)
Bulgarian: изнена́да (bg) f (iznenáda), сюрпри́з (bg) m (sjurpríz)
Catalan: sorpresa (ca) f
Chinese:
- Mandarin: 驚奇／惊奇 (zh) (jīngqí)
Czech: překvapení (cs) n
Danish: overraskelse c
Dutch: verrassing (nl) f
Esperanto: surprizo
Estonian: üllatus (et)
Finnish: yllätys (fi)
French: surprise (fr) f
Galician: sorpresa (gl) f
Georgian: სიურპრიზი (siurṗrizi)
German: Überraschung (de) f
Greek: έκπληξη (el) f (ékplixi), ξάφνιασμα (el) n (xáfniasma)
Hebrew: הפתעה‎ (he) f (haftaá)
Hungarian: meglepetés (hu)
Indonesian: kejutan (id)
Irish: ionadh m
Italian: sorpresa (it) f
Japanese: 驚き (ja) (おどろき, odoroki)
Korean: 놀라움 (ko) (nollaum)
Latin: inopīnātum n
Latvian: pārsteigums m
Luxembourgish: Iwwerraschung f
Macedonian: изненадување n (iznenaduvanje)
Malay: kejutan (ms)
Norwegian:
- Norwegian Bokmål: overraskelse m
- Norwegian Nynorsk: overrasking
Occitan: suspresa (oc) f
Persian: سورپریز‎ (fa) (surpriz), شگفتانه‎ (šegeftâne)
Plautdietsch: Äwarauschunk f
Polish: niespodzianka (pl) f, zaskoczenie (pl) n
Portuguese: surpresa (pt) f
Romanian: surpriză (ro) f, surprindere (ro) f
Russian: сюрпри́з (ru) m (sjurpríz), неожи́данность (ru) f (neožídannostʹ)
Scottish Gaelic: iongnadh m
Serbo-Croatian: изненађење, iznenađenje (sh) n
Sindhi: اچرج‎
Slovak: prekvapenie n
Slovene: presenečenje (sl) n
Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: pśechwatanje n
Spanish: sorpresa (es) f
Swedish: överraskning (sv) c
Turkish: sürpriz (tr)
Ukrainian: сюрпри́з m (sjurprýz), несподіва́нка f (nespodivánka)
Vietnamese: bất ngờ (vi), không ngờ
Walloon: ewaermint (wa) m, sbarmint (wa) m

Armenian: անակնկալ (hy) (anaknkal)
Chinese:
- Mandarin: 意外 (zh) (yìwài)
Danish: overraskelses-
Dutch: verrassings- (nl)
Finnish: yllätys-
French: surprise (fr)
German: Überraschungs- (de)
Greek: αιφνίδιος (el) (aifnídios), ξαφνικός (el) (xafnikós)
Hungarian: meglepetésszerű (hu), váratlan (hu)
Malay: mengejut
Maori: urumaranga (refers to an attack)
Norwegian: overrasknings- m, overraskelses-
Portuguese: surpresa (pt)
Romanian: surpriză (ro) f
Spanish: sorpresa (es)
Swedish: överrasknings- (sv)
Turkish: sürpriz (tr)

Arabic: دَهْشَة‎ f (dahša)
Armenian: զարմանք (hy) (zarmankʿ)
Avar: тамашальи (tamašalʲi)
Azerbaijani: təəccüb (az)
Bulgarian: удивле́ние (bg) n (udivlénie)
Catalan: sorpresa (ca) f
Czech: překvapení (cs) n
Danish: overraskelse c
Dutch: verrassing (nl) f, verbazing (nl) f, verbijstering (nl)
Finnish: hämmästys (fi)
German: Überraschung (de) f
Greek: έκπληξη (el) f (ékplixi)
Hungarian: ámulat (hu), megdöbbenés (hu), meglepődés
Irish: ionadh m
Japanese: 驚き (ja) (おどろき, odoroki)
Maori: māharotanga
Norwegian: overraskelse m
Occitan: suspresa (oc) f
Persian: تعجب‎ (fa) (ta'ajjob)
Polish: zdziwienie (pl) n
Portuguese: surpresa (pt) f
Romanian: surprindere (ro) f, surpriză (ro) f
Russian: удивле́ние (ru) n (udivlénije)
Slovene: presenečenje (sl) n
Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: pśechwatanje n
Spanish: sorpresa (es) f
Swedish: överraskning (sv) c, förvåning (sv) c
Tamil: ஆச்சரியம் (ta) (āccariyam)
Ukrainian: здивува́ння n (zdyvuvánnja), по́див m (pódyv)

Verb

surprise (third-person singular simple present surprises, present participle surprising, simple past and past participle surprised)

(transitive) To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.
- It surprises me that I owe twice as much as I thought I did.
(transitive) To do something to (a person) that they are not expecting, as a surprise.
- He doesn’t know that I’m in the country – I thought I’d turn up at his house and surprise him.
(intransitive) To undergo or witness something unexpected.
- He doesn’t surprise easily.
(intransitive) To cause surprise.
(transitive) To attack unexpectedly.
(transitive) To take unawares.

Synonyms

(to come upon unexpectedly): overtake

Translations

Arabic: بَاغَتَ‎ (bāḡata), فَاجَأَ‎ (ar) (fājaʔa) (present: يفاجئ‎ (yufājiʿ)), دَهِشَ‎ (dahiša)
Armenian: զարմացնել (hy) (zarmacʿnel)
Asturian: sorprender
Azerbaijani: təəccübləndirmək (az)
Belarusian: дзіві́ць impf (dzivícʹ), здзіўля́ць impf (zdziŭljácʹ), здзіві́ць pf (zdzivícʹ)
Bulgarian: изнена́двам (bg) impf (iznenádvam), изнена́дам pf (iznenádam), учу́двам (bg) impf (učúdvam), учу́дя (bg) pf (učúdja), удивля́вам (bg) impf (udivljávam), удивя́ pf (udivjá), сюрпризирам (bg) (sjurpriziram)
Catalan: sorprendre (ca)
Chinese:
- Mandarin: 使吃驚／使吃惊 (shǐ chījīng) (be surprised: 吃驚／吃惊 (chījīng))
Czech: překvapovat impf, překvapit (cs) pf
Danish: overraske (da)
Dutch: verbazen (nl), verrassen (nl), verbijsteren (nl)
Esperanto: surprizi
Finnish: yllättää (fi), hämmästyttää (fi)
French: surprendre (fr), étonner (fr)
Galician: sorprender
German: überraschen (de)
Greek: εκπλήσσω (el) (ekplísso), ξαφνιάζω (el) (xafniázo)
Hungarian: meglep (hu)
Ido: surprizar (io)
Irish: cuir ionadh ar, cuir iontas ar
Italian: stupire (it), sorprendere (it), meravigliare (it)
Japanese: 驚かす (ja) (おどろかす, odorokasu)
Korean: 놀라게 하다 (nollage hada)
Macedonian: изненадува impf (iznenaduva), изненади pf (iznenadi)
Maori: komutu
Norwegian: overraske (no)
Persian: تعجب ساختن‎ (ta'ajob sâxtan), شگفتزده ساختن‎ (šegeftzade sâxtan)
Polish: dziwić (pl) impf, zadziwić (pl) pf, zdziwić (pl) pf
Portuguese: surpreender (pt)
Romanian: surprinde (ro)
Russian: удивля́ть (ru) impf (udivljátʹ), удиви́ть (ru) pf (udivítʹ)
Slovak: prekvapovať impf, prekvapiť pf
Slovene: presenetiti (sl)
Spanish: sorprender (es)
Swedish: överraska (sv), förvåna (sv)
Telugu: ఆశ్చర్యపరచు (āścaryaparacu)
Turkish: şaşırtmak (tr)
Ukrainian: дивува́ти impf (dyvuváty), здивува́ти pf (zdyvuváty), чудува́ти impf (čuduváty), зчудува́ти pf (zčuduváty)
Vietnamese: ngạc nhiên (vi)
Welsh: synnu (cy), syfrdannu

Armenian: անակնկալի բերել (anaknkali berel), զարմացնել (hy) (zarmacʿnel)
Bulgarian: изненадвам (bg) (iznenadvam)
Danish: overraske (da)
Dutch: verrassen (nl)
Finnish: yllättää (fi)
French: surprendre (fr)
German: überraschen (de)
Greek: κάνω έκπληξη (káno ékplixi), αιφνιδιάζω (el) (aifnidiázo)
Indonesian: mengejutkan (id)
Irish: cuir ionadh ar, cuir iontas ar
Maori: komutu, ninihi
Norwegian: overraske (no)
Polish: zaskakiwać (pl), zaskoczyć (pl) pf
Portuguese: surpreender (pt)
Romanian: surprinde (ro)
Slovene: presenetiti (sl)
Swedish: överraska (sv)
Turkish: şaşırtmak (tr), sürpriz yapmak (tr)

Bulgarian: заварвам неподготвен (zavarvam nepodgotven)
Finnish: yllättää (fi)
Greek: αιφνιδιάζω (el) (aifnidiázo), ξαφνιάζω (el) (xafniázo)
Irish: breith amuigh ar
Maori: ninihi, komutu
Norwegian:
- Bokmål: overrumple, overraske (no), ta på sengen (no)
Portuguese: surpreender (pt)
Welsh: dal ar y gamfa

Anagrams

spurries, uprisers

surprise - Dutch

Pronunciation

IPA: /sʏrˈpriːzə/
Hyphenation: sur‧pri‧se

Noun

surprise f (plural surprises, diminutive surprisetje n)

(Netherlands) a gift wrapped in an ingenious or creative manner; often given anonymously during Sinterklaas celebrations in a similar way to secret Santa
a surprise gift
(obsolete) a surprise
- Synonym: verrassing

Derived terms

sinterklaassurprise

surprise - French

Pronunciation

IPA: /syʁ.pʁiz/

Participle

surprise f sg

feminine singular of the past participle of surprendre
- Je t’ai surprise en flagrant délit.
  - I caught you in the act.

Adjective

surprise

feminine singular of surpris

Noun

surprise f (plural surprises)

surprise (something unexpected)

Derived terms

surprise - Middle French

Noun

surprise f (plural surprises)

Alternative form of surprinse

Adjective

surprise

feminine singular of surpris

Verb

surprise

feminine singular of the past participle of surprendre