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REFERENCE

surprising

v.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //səˈpɹaɪzɪŋ// UK //səpɹˈaɪzɪŋ// sur·pris·ing General-service

v. to make someone feel a sense of wonder or shock because something happens that they did not expect.

v. to cause someone to feel wonder or astonishment by being unexpected. Transitive; requires a direct object.


SIMPLE

I want to surprise my sister with a birthday gift.

CONTEXTUAL

The sudden rain shower managed to surprise the hikers, who had not checked the weather forecast before leaving.

COMPLEX

The candidate's victory did not surprise the political analysts, who had observed a significant shift in public opinion during the final weeks of the campaign.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From surprise + -ing.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. Often used in the passive voice ('to be surprised by').

Pitfall

I am very surprising by the news.I am very surprised by the news.Learners often confuse the -ing adjective (describing the cause) with the -ed participle (describing the feeling).

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