surprising

[ ser-prahy-zing, suh- ]

adjective

1. causing surprise, wonder, or astonishment.
2. unexpected.

surprising

/ səˈpraɪzɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing surprise; unexpected or amazing

Derived Forms

• surˈprisingness, noun
• surˈprisingly, adverb

Other Words From

• sur·pris·ing·ly adverb
• un·sur·pris·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of surprising¹

First recorded in 1570–80; surprise + -ing ²

Example Sentences

"So, it was surprising how big the improvement was."

From Science Daily

The outcome was the latest indication of a rightward shift in the reliably blue state, which saw a number of surprising results from the Nov. 5 election.

From Los Angeles Times

"I think it's encouraging and a bit surprising that we were able to get such good performance in this compression scheme," said Goldsmith, who moved to Princeton from Stanford Engineering in 2020.

From Science Daily

"It was quite striking and surprising and upsetting for most people there."

From BBC

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have discovered the surprising answer.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• amazing
• astonishing
• extraordinary
• remarkable
• shocking
• startling
• stunning
• sudden
• unanticipated
• unforeseen
• unpredictable
• wonderful