surprise

I UK [sə(r)ˈpraɪz] / US [sərˈpraɪz] noun
Word forms "surprise":
singular surprise plural surprises
***

Ways of expressing surprise:

Goodness!/Good heavens!/(Oh) my God → used for showing that you are surprised Good grief! → used for showing that you are surprised, especially when you are not pleased Never/Well I never/Well, well/Really? → an informal way of saying that what someone has just said is very surprising No way!/You're joking!/You're kidding! → used for emphasizing that what someone has just said is so surprising that you can't believe it I can't/don't believe it! → used for emphasizing that something that has just happened is so surprising that you can't believe it Believe it or not/Oddly enough/Funnily enough → used for emphasizing that what you are about to tell someone is surprising but true Who would have thought ...? → used for saying that something is so surprising that no one could have expected it
Examples:
Good heavens! Is that the time already? I promised to be home by five! ♦ "We're getting married." "Oh my God, I can't believe it!" Good grief! Twenty pounds for a taxi to the city centre? That's outrageous! "Jo's head of department now." "Really? She only joined the company a year ago." "My dad's bought two tickets for the World Cup." "No way! That's fantastic!" I don't believe it! I passed all my exams! Believe it or not, this shabby old desk is a collector's item. ♦ Oddly enough, I was just about to call you when the phone rang. Who would have thought he'd get married again at 80?

1) [countable] an unusual or unexpected event

There were few surprises at Wimbledon this year.

come as a surprise:

Holman's arrest came as a surprise to the entire community.

come as no surprise:

Given the dismal sales performance, the change of management came as no surprise.

surprises in store (= unexpected things that will happen in the future):

Let's hope there are no more unpleasant surprises in store for us.

be in for a surprise:

The players could be in for a surprise if they expect an easy victory.

a) news or information that seems unusual or unexpected

I never knew Sheila had been married – that was a real surprise.

b) [only before noun] happening unexpectedly

Henderson led the team to a surprise win in the final.

They keep the room ready for surprise visitors.

2) [uncountable] the feeling you have when something unusual or unexpected happens

Many students expressed surprise at the news.

(much) to someone's surprise:

Much to my surprise, the restaurant was actually very nice.

3) [countable] a present that you are not expecting to receive

I got you a little surprise for your birthday.

•

take/catch someone by surprise — to happen unexpectedly; to attack, catch, or find someone when they do not expect it; to shock someone by unexpected behaviour

The storm caught the fishermen completely by surprise.

Protesters marched into the governor's office, taking security forces by surprise.

The violence of his language took us all by surprise.

- surprise, surprise

II UK [sə(r)ˈpraɪz] / US [sərˈpraɪz] verb [transitive]
Word forms "surprise":
present tense I/you/we/they surprise he/she/it surprises present participle surprising past tense surprised past participle surprised
**

1) to give someone a feeling of surprise

Her angry tone of voice surprised me.

Mike decided to surprise Angie with flowers.

It may surprise you to know that Frank used to be an athlete.

It wouldn't surprise me if it snowed tonight.

surprise yourself:

She surprised herself by finishing the race in less than 45 minutes.

2) to attack or find someone when they do not expect it

The soldiers surprised the men before they had a chance to escape.

3) to discover someone doing something, especially something that they should not be doing

A teacher surprised the boys smoking cigarettes.

III UK [sə(r)ˈpraɪz] / US [sərˈpraɪz] interjection

said when you do something unusual or unexpected