to strike or occur to with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, as through unexpectedness

Her beauty surprised me.

to come upon or discover suddenly and unexpectedly

We surprised the children raiding the cookie jar.

to make an unexpected assault on (an unprepared army, fort, person, etc.).

to elicit or bring out suddenly and without warning

to surprise the facts from the witness.

to lead or bring unawares, as into doing something not intended

to surprise a witness into telling the truth.

an act or instance of surprising or being surprised.

something that surprises someone; a completely unexpected occurrence, appearance, or statement

His announcement was a surprise to all.

an assault, as on an army or a fort, made without warning.

a coming upon unexpectedly; detecting in the act; taking unawares. ?

take by surprise

to come upon unawares.

to astonish; amaze

The amount of the donation took us completely by surprise.

noun

expectation

verb

expect

noun

abruptness , amazement , astonishment , astoundment , attack , awe , bewilderment , bombshell , consternation , curiosity , curveball , disappointment , disillusion , eye-opener , fortune , godsend * , incredulity , jolt * , kick * , marvel , miracle , miscalculation , phenomenon , portent , precipitance , precipitation , precipitousness , prodigy , rarity , revelation , shock , start , stupefaction , suddenness , thunderbolt * , unexpected , unforeseen , whammy * , wonder , wondermentnotes:amaze once meant \'alarm , terrify\' but now means \'astonish\'; surprise means \'meet with suddenly or without warning\' , coup de main , deus ex machina , thunderclap , trouvaille

verb

amaze , astound , awe , bewilder , blow away , bowl over * , cause wonder , confound , confuse , consternate , daze , dazzle , discomfit , disconcert , dismay , dumbfound , electrify , flabbergast , floor , jar , jolt , leave aghast , leave open-mouthed , nonplus , overwhelm , perplex , petrify , rattle , rock , shake up , shock , spring something on , stagger , startle , strike dumb , strike with awe , stun , stupefy , take aback , take one’s breath away , throw a curve , unsettlenotes:amaze once meant \'alarm , terrify\' but now means \'astonish\'; surprise means \'meet with suddenly or without warning\' , ambush , burst in on , bushwhack , capture , catch in the act , catch off-balance , catch off-guard , catch red-handed , catch unawares , come down on , discover , drop in on , grab , grasp , lay for , lie in wait , nab , seize , spring on , take , take by surprise , waylaynotes:amaze once meant \'alarm , catch , hit on , ambuscade , waylay , astonish , alarm , baffle , blow , bombshell , dumfound , evince , fluster , miracle , overcome , perturb , rivet , storm , unexpected , unsettle , wonder