surprises

noun

Something unexpected.

The feeling that something unexpected has happened.

A mess of feces, left by a pet or small child in an unexpected place or at an unexpected time.

A city in Maricopa County, Arizona, the largest place with this name.

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Jackson County, Indiana.

A village in Butler County, Nebraska.

A populated place in Greene County, New York.

Former name of Surprise Station, California.

verb

(transitive) To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.

(transitive) To do something to (a person) that they are not expecting, as a surprise.

(intransitive) To cause surprise.

(transitive) To attack unexpectedly.

(transitive) To take unawares.

(intransitive) To undergo or witness something unexpected.

Roots

supersur- · Latin · over, above prehendo-prise · Latin · grasp, seize

Synonyms & related words for surprises

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Words related to surprises

Explore words related to surprises — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include surprising, unexpected, amaze, surprised, astonish, astound, unhoped, unexpectedness. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does surprises come from?

The word surprises breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: sur-, from Latin super (“over, above”); and -prise, from Latin prehendo (“grasp, seize”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.