surprised

1 of 2

adjective

sur·​prised sər-ˈprīzd How to pronounce surprised (audio)
sə-
Synonyms of surprisednext
: feeling or showing surprise because of something unexpected
was very surprised to see her there
was too surprised to speak
a surprised expression

surprised

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of surprise entry 2

Examples of surprised in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
One teammate who isn’t surprised at all about Martinez’s ironwoman status is Leah Romano. — Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026 Almgren has been pleasantly surprised at a lack of fatigue after hard, long runs. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2026 The visit by Khalid bin Salman — a Saudi royal and brother of the kingdom’s de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — surprised observers. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 What is clear is that officials and the public shouldn’t be surprised about coastal flooding this week. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprised

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surprised was in 1882

Rhymes for surprised

See All Rhymes for surprised

Browse Nearby Words

Surprise
surprised
surprisedly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surprised. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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