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# surprise

noun (a surprise, surprises; surprise, uncountable); verb (surprise, surprises, surprised, surprising); adjective forms surprised, surprising

«surprise» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A surprise is something you did not expect, such as a present or a sudden event. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#m1)
2. Surprise is the feeling you have when something unexpected happens. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#m2)
3. To surprise someone means to do something they did not expect, often to make them happy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#m3)
4. A surprise party or gift is kept secret until the moment it is given. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#m4)

### In the lessons

In stories surprise tells the reader that something unexpected happens; a character may gasp or open their eyes wide. In science a surprising result is one you did not predict, which makes you check and think again. In everyday life there are surprise parties, surprise visits and surprise tests. Phrases: to my surprise, take someone by surprise, surprise party, what a surprise.

### Examples

- What a lovely surprise! Thank you for the flowers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x1)
- We are planning a surprise party for Mum's birthday. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x2)
- To my surprise, the little seed grew into a huge sunflower. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x3)
- The snow in spring took everyone by surprise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x4)
- Grandma surprised us by coming to visit without telling anyone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x5)
- I was surprised to see a hedgehog in the garden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x6)
- The result of the experiment was surprising, so we tested it again. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x7)
- Don't jump out to surprise someone on the stairs; they might fall. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x8)
- Jack uttered a cry of surprise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/#x9)

### Note

Spelling trap: surprise has an «r» after the «u» (sur-prise), not «suprise». «Surprised» is how you feel; «surprising» is the thing that causes the feeling («I was surprised; the news was surprising»). A good surprise is kept secret, but a secret that makes you feel unsafe is not a surprise and should be told to a trusted adult.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «surprise» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/surprise/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«surprise» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/surprise.html) on Mova free.