SURPRISED Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

surprised 1 of 2

adjective

variants also surprized

Definition of surprised

as in startled

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surprised

2 of 2

verb

variants also surprized

past tense of surprise

as in amazed

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected I was very surprised when my parents offered to pay the down payment on our house

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in ambushed

to lie in wait for and attack by surprise FBI agents surprised the counterfeiters in their own base of operations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of surprised

Adjective

Wrought Iron If wrought iron starts to pop up more and more often in your neighborhood, do not be surprised. — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 13 Aug. 2026 Not surprised by the results of this study, the authors were a little disappointed that there was no benefit in terms of quality of life of stopping statins, Bonnet said. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026

Verb

Reagan and Gorbachev, in the course of their discussion, agreed to eliminate all nuclear weapons, a move that surprised both delegations. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026 OpenAI's financial backers were surprised by Dresser's announcement, according to two current investors, who asked not to be named in order to speak freely on the matter. — Ashley Capoot,kate Rooney, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprised

Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised

Adjective

Her face, indisputably middle-aged, had a pensive, startled quality.

— Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Even general manager Jonah Kaplan is a little startled by the café’s increasing popularity.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of startled

Verb

Just before halftime, van Persie slipped past the Spanish defensive line to receive a long-range pass from teammate Daley Blind and looped the ball over Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas with a first-time diving header that amazed the audience.

— Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026
When Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone at America’s Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, the invention amazed the crowd.

— David H. Hsu, Fortune, 11 May 2026

Definition of amazed

Verb

While there was a period of harmony between the two coasts, that imploded after Shakur was ambushed at a Times Square recording studio in November 1994.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
On the day Tran was ambushed, the vehicle circled the area 16 times before the shooting, according to investigators.

— Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of ambushed

Adjective

Maxwell, a fiction editor at The New Yorker, drew upon his own awed discovery of France in 1948; the novel’s opening paragraphs show one of the protagonists weeping at the sight of the French shore.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
But credit Neill for both understanding the assignment and not quite settling for those awed stares of Spielbergian wonder.

— Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026

Definition of awed

Verb

While the devices are marketed as nonlethal and safe for the heart, a pending lawsuit alleges a 43-year-old man died in 2024 after he was shocked 27 times with the gloves and 13 more times by a Taser at a jail in Richmond, Kentucky.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
In fact, so political has Tafoya gotten in her hometown of Edina, an upscale Twin Cities suburb, that many people were shocked the 61-year-old didn’t take a run at public office earlier.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of shocked

Verb

At one point during the summit, Reagan and Gorbachev were close to agreeing on a deal that would remove every single nuclear missile from the planet, a moment in the transcript that Gunn was particularly stunned by.

— Barry Levitt, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Smart stunned in the creation, pairing it with black-and-gold drop earrings fitted with diamonds and one statement ring.

— Christina Perrier, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of stunned

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“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of surprised

adjective

verb

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