surprise
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++sur·prise1 /səˈpraɪz $ sər-/ ●●● S3 W2 noun 1 event 事件 [countable]SURPRISED an unexpected or unusual event 意想不到的事；不同寻常的事 → shock What a surprise to find you here! 真想不到啊，在这儿碰到你！ We had a big surprise when we found out the truth. 我们知道真相后大吃一惊。2 feeling 感觉 [countable, uncountable]SURPRISED the feeling you have when something unexpected or unusual happens 惊奇，惊讶，诧异 → shock The man had a look of surprise on his face. 那人脸上一副惊讶的表情。in/with surprise Bill looked at him in surprise. 比尔诧异地看着他。to somebody’s surprise (=in a way that surprises someone) 使某人惊讶的是 Much to his surprise, she gave him her phone number. 令他颇感意外的是，她把电话号码给了他。n GrammarYou say: To my surprise, the whole family was there. ✗Don’t say: for my surprise3 take/catch somebody by surprise SURPRISEDto happen unexpectedly 出乎某人意料 The question took her by surprise. 这个问题使她猝不及防。4 take somebody/something by surprise PMATTACKto suddenly attack a place or an opponent when they are not ready 出其不意地袭击某人/某地 The guerrillas were killed when army troops took them by surprise. 游击队员在遭到军队突袭时被杀。5 gift/party etc 礼物/聚会等 [countable usually singular]GIVE an unexpected present, trip etc which you give to someone or organize for them, often on a special occasion 令某人惊喜的事物〔如礼物、旅行等〕surprise for ‘I’ve got a surprise for you, ’ she said. “我要给你一个惊喜。”她说道。6. surprise guest/visitor etc EXPECT#someone who arrives somewhere unexpectedly 不速之客n7. → surprise!8 a) surprise, surpriseEXPECT used when saying in a joking way that you expected something to happen or be true 不足为怪〔玩笑语，用于表示自己预料到某事将会发生或属实〕 The American TV networks are, surprise, surprise, full of stories about the election. 美国电视网毫无意外地全是有关竞选的报道。 b) British English spokenSURPRISED used when you suddenly appear in front of someone who you know is not expecting to see you 想不到吧〔出其不意地突然出现在某人面前时说的话〕9 method 方法 [uncountable]SURPRISED the use of methods which are intended to cause surprise 出其不意[出人意料]的方法 An element of surprise is important to any attack. 出其不意在任何进攻中都很重要。 COLLOCATIONSverbsbe a surprise 是意想不到的事His decision to marry was a complete surprise. 他要结婚的决定完全出人意料。come as a surprise (=be surprising) 出乎意料,令人惊讶The announcement came as a surprise to most people. 这个通告出乎大多数人的意料。get/have a surprise 吃惊We got a surprise when we got home and found him waiting for us. 我们到家看见他在等我们,吃了一惊。give somebody a surprise 让某人吃惊She wanted to give him a surprise. 她想给他一个惊喜。have a surprise for somebody (=be planning to give someone a surprise) 要让某人吃惊nI think Jenny might have a surprise for you.nspring a surprise (on somebody) (=give someone a surprise)The chairman sprang a surprise this week by announcing his intention to quit.adjectivesa big/great surprise 非常令人惊讶的事The results were a big surprise. 结果大大出人意料。a complete/total surprise 完全出乎意料的事The news came as a complete surprise. 这消息完全出人意料。a nice/pleasant/lovely surprise 惊喜It’s a lovely surprise to see you. 见到你真让人又惊又喜。an unpleasant/nasty surprise 令人不快/令人厌恶的意外nWe don’t want any unpleasant surprises.phrasescome as no surprise (=not be surprising) 不足为奇It came as no surprise when Lester got the job. 莱斯特得到了这份工作不让人感到意外。be in for a surprise (=be going to have a surprise) 将会吃惊nCompare our prices. You’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.there’s a surprise in store (for somebody) (=something unexpected is going to happen) 将有意想不到的事（等待某人）nThere were plenty more surprises in store for him.surprise + NOUNa surprise visit 突然拜访Environmental health inspectors made a surprise visit to the restaurant. 环境卫生检查员突然到访这个餐馆。a surprise party 令人惊喜的聚会His friends had planned a surprise party for him. 他的朋友们策划了一个聚会,要给他一个惊喜。a surprise announcement 突然的通告nIn a surprise announcement the company said they were withdrawing their planning application.a surprise victory 意想不到的胜利nShe came to power in 1977, after a surprise victory in the general election.a surprise attack 出其不意的袭击nInstead they launched a successful surprise attack on the castle.a surprise move (=an unexpected action) 出人意料的行动nIn a surprise move, the government lifted the ban on arms exports to the country.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘a bad surprise’. Say an unpleasant surprise or a nasty surprise. 不要说 ‘a bad surprise’。 而要说 an unpleasant surprise 或 a nasty surprise。Examples from the Corpus
surprise• But in a surprise move Short and Kasparov snubbed the ruling body and rejected the offer.• Hal! What a surprise to see you here.• Police had been taken by surprise as fifteen thousand travellers converged on the area.• To everyone's complete surprise, the Labour Party lost the election.• Many readers expressed surprise at the findings, but I was not among them.• And I've always liked to be ready for surprises, especially the lethal sort.• Sam stared at his girlfriend in surprise. "What are you doing here?'' he asked.• I've got a little surprise waiting for you at home.• You can imagine my surprise when I saw my sister's photograph on a magazine cover.• To my surprise he said I might.• This came as no surprise to Dee Dee, our all-purpose advice columnist, who has long suspected the link.• He rolled back the leather covering and heard Selkirk's gasp of surprise.• Normally she was animated - laughing, frowning, grimacing, registering surprise or scepticism or compassion.• I expressed some surprise at the elaborate welcome which had been prepared for me.in/with surprise• I looked at her in surprise.• Poole stared in surprise to see Mr Hyde so early in the morning, but I did not care.• She stared from one to the other of them in surprise.• Gretchen looked up in surprise as Dale walked in.• Bella's mouth opened, but whether in surprise anger or terror, Cassie was unable to say.• The size of the camp when they came in sight of it made Rostov's eyes widen with surprise.element of surprise• There has always been an element of surprise at the discovery that Britain is not wholly urbanised.• His work is always very elegant, always beautiful, but there is an element of surprise in it too.• The next bit relies on an element of surprise for the full effect.• Or an element of surprise in an otherwise conventional room.• Your 14-21, home and road weary, occasionally defenseless Celtics have discovered some elements of surprise.• She suggests you cheat your hormones by including the element of surprise - black stockings or a weekend away, for example.• The leopard gave a snarl of fury, as it realized that it had lost the element of surprise.• What I do is count on the element of surprise.nsurprise!spokenSURPRISED used when you are just about to show someone something that you know will surprise them 想不到吧！有个惊喜！surprise2 ●●● S3 W2 verb [transitive] 1 SURPRISEDto make someone feel surprised 使惊奇，使诧异，使感到意外 → shock His strange question surprised her. 他那奇怪的问题令她感到意外。it surprises somebody to see/find/know etc It had surprised me to find how fussy he was about some things. 我发现他在有些事情上大惊小怪，感到很吃惊。 I didn’t know you two knew each other. Mind you, it doesn’t surprise me. 我不知道你们俩认识。 尽管如此，我并不感到意外。 What surprised me most was that she didn’t seem to care. 最令我感到意外的是，她好像毫不在乎。it surprises somebody that/how/what Looking back, does it surprise you that she left? 回过头看看，她的离开让你吃惊吗？ It wouldn’t surprise me if he married Jo. 要是他和乔结婚，我不会吃惊的。2 CATCHATTACKto find, catch, or attack someone when they are not expecting it, especially when they are doing something they should not be doing 出其不意地发现 [抓获]；突然袭击n THESAURUSsurprise to make someone feel surprised, especially because they did not expect somethingHer 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 believeHe amazed everyone with his skill.It amazes me that no one has thought of the idea before.astonish to greatly surprise someoneMyra 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 astonishWhat astounded him was their inefficiency.take somebody by surprise to happen at an unexpected time, so that people are surprised or unpreparedSecurity 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 expectThe wind made the door shut with a crash, which startled her.Sudden movements may startle the horse.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
surprise• I felt a sharp stab of disappointment and was surprised and angry at myself.• Police surprised Dyer in the parking lot of the building where he worked.• The extent of her stepmother's generosity surprised her.• Diana's reaction surprised him - he hadn't realized that she was so upset.• The urgency of desire surprised him.• The report's conclusions have surprised many analysts.• What surprised me most was how cheap everything was compared to at home.• I have to say, it surprises me that they haven't gone bankrupt before now.• It was the tone of his voice that surprised me.• The exam was actually quite easy, which surprised me.• Why don't you just have a go at skiing? You might surprise yourself.it surprises somebody that/how/what• And the police, who are true servants of justice - it surprises you?• It surprised us all that Shannon did so well.Origin surprise1 (1400-1500) Old French past participle of surprendre “to take over, surprise”, from sur- ( → SURCHARGE) + prendre “to take”sur·prise1 noun →n GRAMMAR1 →COLLOCATIONS1surprise!surprise2 verb →n THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
unusual Corpus or event unexpected an
surprise
sur‧prise1 S3 W2 /səˈpraɪz $ sər-/ 
noun
What a surprise to find you here__
We had a big surprise when we found out the truth.
2. FEELING [uncountable and countable] the feeling you have when something unexpected or unusual happens ⇨ shock:
The man had a look of surprise on his face.
in/with surprise
Bill looked at him in surprise.
to sb’s surprise (=in a way that surprises someone)
Much to his surprise, she gave him her phone number.
3. take/catch somebody by surprise to happen unexpectedly:
The question took her by surprise.
4. take somebody/something by surprise to suddenly attack a place or an opponent when they are not ready:
The guerrillas were killed when army troops took them by surprise.
5. GIFT/PARTY ETC [countable usually singular] an unexpected present, trip etc which you give to someone or organize for them, often on a special occasion
surprise for
‘I’ve got a surprise for you,’ she said.
6. surprise guest/visitor etc someone who arrives somewhere unexpectedly
7. surprise__ spoken used when you are just about to show someone something that you know will surprise them
8.
a. surprise, surprise used when saying in a joking way that you expected something to happen or be true:
The American TV networks are, surprise, surprise, full of stories about the election.
b. British English spoken used when you suddenly appear in front of someone who you know is not expecting to see you
9. METHOD [uncountable] the use of methods which are intended to cause surprise:
An element of surprise is important to any attack.
■ 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.
surprise2 verb [transitive]
His strange question surprised her.
it surprises somebody to see/find/know etc
It had surprised me to find how fussy he was about some things.
I didn’t know you two knew each other. Mind you, it doesn’t surprise me.
What surprised me most was that she didn’t seem to care.
it surprises somebody (that)
Looking back, does it surprise you that she left?
It wouldn’t surprise me if he married Jo.
2. to find, catch, or attack someone when they are not expecting it, especially when they are doing something they should not be doing:
A security guard surprised the burglars in the storeroom.
▪ 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.
| I |
noun Word Family: adjective: surprised, surprising ≠ unsurprising; verb: surprise; noun: surprise; adverb: surprisingly ≠ unsurprisingly
Date: 1400-1500
Language: Old French
Origin: past participle of surprendre 'to take over, surprise', from sur- ( ⇨ surcharge) + prendre 'to take'
1. EVENT [countable] an unexpected or unusual event ⇨ shock:Language: Old French
Origin: past participle of surprendre 'to take over, surprise', from sur- ( ⇨ surcharge) + prendre 'to take'
2. FEELING [uncountable and countable] the feeling you have when something unexpected or unusual happens ⇨ shock:
in/with surprise
to sb’s surprise (=in a way that surprises someone)
3. take/catch somebody by surprise to happen unexpectedly:
4. take somebody/something by surprise to suddenly attack a place or an opponent when they are not ready:
5. GIFT/PARTY ETC [countable usually singular] an unexpected present, trip etc which you give to someone or organize for them, often on a special occasion
surprise for
6. surprise guest/visitor etc someone who arrives somewhere unexpectedly
7. surprise__ spoken used when you are just about to show someone something that you know will surprise them
8.
a. surprise, surprise used when saying in a joking way that you expected something to happen or be true:
b. British English spoken used when you suddenly appear in front of someone who you know is not expecting to see you
9. METHOD [uncountable] the use of methods which are intended to cause surprise:
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■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'a bad surprise'. Say an unpleasant surprise or a nasty surprise.
| II |
verb [transitive] Word Family: adjective: surprised, surprising ≠ unsurprising; verb: surprise; noun: surprise; adverb: surprisingly ≠ unsurprisingly
1. to make someone feel surprised ⇨ shock: it surprises somebody to see/find/know etc
it surprises somebody (that)
2. to find, catch, or attack someone when they are not expecting it, especially when they are doing something they should not be doing:
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surprise to give sb the feeling that you get when sth happens that you do not expect or do not understand, or sth that you do expect does not happen; to make sb feel surprised 指使惊奇、使诧异、使感到意外 ：◆ The outcome didn't surprise me at all. 这一结果完全在我的意料之中。 startle to surprise sb suddenly in a way that slightly shocks or frightens them 指惊吓、使吓一跳、使大吃一惊 ：◆ Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. 对不起，我不是存心要吓唬你。 ◆ The explosion startled the horse. 爆炸声使马受了惊。 amaze to surprise sb very much 指使惊奇、使惊愕、使惊诧 ：◆ Just the huge size of the place amazed her. 仅仅地方之大就使她十分惊奇。 stun ( (often in newspapers) to surprise or shock sb so much that they cannot think clearly or speakrather
（常用于报章）指使震惊、使惊愕、使目瞪口呆 astonish to surprise sb very much 指使十分惊讶、使大为惊奇 ：◆ The news astonished everyone. 这消息使大家十分惊讶。
amaze or astonish? 用 amaze 还是 astonish？
take sb aback [ （尤指不好的事）使大吃一惊、使震惊 ：◆ We were rather taken aback by her hostile reaction. 她敌视的反应使我们大吃一惊。 astound to surprise or shock sb very much 指使震惊、使大惊 ：◆ His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
Patterns
It surprises sb/startles sb/amazes sb/stuns sb/astonishes sb/takes sb aback/astounds sbto surprise/startle/amaze/stun/astonish/astound sb that… to surprise/amaze sb what/how… to surprise/startle/amaze/stun/astonish/astound sb to know/find/learn/see/hear… to be surprised/startled/stunned into (doing) sth