1
general::
surprise
to make someone feel surprised, especially because they did not expect something:
• Her reaction surprised me – I didn’t realize how strongly she felt. • What surprised me was how cheap everything was compared to at home.
amaze
to greatly surprise someone, for example because something is very good, unusual, or hard to believe:
• He amazed everyone with his skill. • It amazes me that no one has thought of the idea before.
astonish
to greatly surprise someone:
• Myra astonished her doctors by recovering so quickly.
astound
to greatly surprise or shock someone. Astound sounds a little more formal and a little stronger than astonish:
• What astounded him was their inefficiency.
take somebody by surprise
to happen at an unexpected time, so that people are surprised or unprepared:
• Security men were taken by surprise as the man ran onto the stage. • His resignation took us by surprise.
startle
to make someone feel surprised or slightly frightened by doing something they did not expect:
• The wind made the door shut with a crash, which startled her. • Sudden movements may startle the horse.
Longman-Thesaurus
4
general::
surprise
verbs
be a surprise
• His decision to marry was a complete surprise.
come as a surprise
(= be surprising )
• The announcement came as a surprise to most people.
get/have a surprise
• We got a surprise when we got home and found him waiting for us.
give somebody a surprise
• She wanted to give him a surprise.
have a surprise for somebody
(= be planning to give someone a surprise )
• I think Jenny might have a surprise for you.
spring a surprise (on somebody)
(= give someone a surprise )
• The chairman sprang a surprise this week by announcing his intention to quit.
adjectives
a big/great surprise
• The results were a big surprise.
a complete/total surprise
• The news came as a complete surprise.
a nice/pleasant/lovely surprise
• It’s a lovely surprise to see you.
an unpleasant/nasty surprise
• We don’t want any unpleasant surprises.
phrases
come as no surprise
(= not be surprising )
• It came as no surprise when Lester got the job.
be in for a surprise
(= be going to have a surprise )
• Compare our prices. You’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.
there’s a surprise in store (for somebody)
(= something unexpected is going to happen )
• There were plenty more surprises in store for him.
surprise + NOUN
a surprise visit
• Environmental health inspectors made a surprise visit to the restaurant.
a surprise party
• His friends had planned a surprise party for him.
a surprise announcement
• In a surprise announcement the company said they were withdrawing their planning application.
a surprise victory
• She came to power in 1977, after a surprise victory in the general election.
a surprise attack
• Instead they launched a successful surprise attack on the castle.
a surprise move
(= an unexpected action )
• In a surprise move, the government lifted the ban on arms exports to the country.
COMMON ERRORS
>>> Do not say ' a bad surprise '. Say an unpleasant surprise or a nasty surprise .
transnet.ir
5
general::
verb ADV. greatly, really | not at all The outcome did not surprise me at all. | hardly | a little, slightly VERB + SURPRISE wouldn't It wouldn't surprise me if they announced they were going to get married. | seem to | want to They wanted to surprise their mother and get the breakfast ready., noun feeling of surprise ADJ. great, utter | mild, some | initial After the initial surprise I got to like the place. | mock His eyebrows rose in mock surprise. QUANT. element The Egyptian team relied on the element of surprise to defeat their stronger opponents. VERB + SURPRISE express, register, show | feign He feigned surprise when I went up and said hello. | hide She was quick to hide her surprise. | cause The president's remarks caused surprise and embarrassment. PREP. in ~ ‘Walk twenty miles!’ repeated the old man in surprise. | to your ~ Much to her surprise she enjoyed the party. | with/without ~ It was with some surprise that I read of his resignation. | ~ at She showed no surprise at the news. PHRASES an expression/a look of surprise, a gasp/scream/shriek, etc. of surprise sth that you did not expect ADJ. big, complete, great, major, total | lovely, nice, pleasant, wonderful VERB + SURPRISE come as | get, have I had a lovely surprise when I saw Mark there. | spring Johnson sprung a surprise by beating the favourite in the first round. | be in for Your mother's in for a bit of a surprise when she gets home. | catch sb by, take sb by The storm took us completely by surprise. SURPRISE + NOUN announcement, attack, party, victory, visit PREP. ~ for It was a complete surprise for me. | ~ to His refusal came as no surprise to his boss. PHRASES a bit of a/quite a surprise
Oxford Collocations Dictionary