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
State health authorities who have been fighting the opioid crisis for decades are still surprised by the drop, said Evan Gumas, a senior research associate at the Commonwealth Fund. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026 The ancient poet may have thus been surprised to learn that today, time is indeed retrievable—at least somewhat. — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026 Few are more surprised by the staying power of Practical Magic than its author, Alice Hoffman. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026 Don’t be surprised if that gets re-upped for the next month, and the next month, and the next month. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 2 Sep. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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