Word Direct Answers

surprise

surprise is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 8 senses. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.

Definitions

  1. 1.The state of being surprised, or taken unawares, by some act or event which could not reasonably be foreseen; emotion excited by what is sudden and strange; a suddenly excited feeling of wonder or astonishment. Pure surprise and fear Made me to quit the house. Shak.
  2. 2.Anything that causes such a state or emotion.
  3. 3.A dish covered with a crust of raised paste, but with no other contents. [Obs.] King. Surprise party, a party of persons who assemble by mutual agreement, and without invitation, at the house of a common friend. [U.S.] Bartlett.
  4. 4.To come or fall suddenly and unexpectedly; to take unawares; to seize or capture by unexpected attack. Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Isa. xxxiii.
  5. 5.The castle of Macduff I will surprise. Shak. Who can speak The mingled passions that surprised his heart Thomson.
  6. 6.To strike with wonder, astonishment, or confusion, by something sudden, unexpected, or remarkable; to confound; as, his conduct surprised me. I am surprised with an uncouth fear. Shak. Up he starts, Discovered and surprised. Milton.
  7. 7.To lead (one) to do suddenly and without forethought; to bring (one) into some unexpected state; -- with into; as, to be surprised into an indiscretion; to be surprised into generosity.
  8. 8.To hold possession of; to hold. [Obs.] Not with me, That in my hands surprise the sovereignity. J. Webster.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Synonyms (Webster's 1913)

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is surprise.

Sources