Surprise
/səˈpraɪz/noun
An unexpected event or the feeling caused by something unexpected.
Did you know?Surprise entered English through French, and its earliest sense was tied to being taken unawares—language itself preserving the shock of a sudden strike.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praehendere
“to seize, grasp, catch”
Late Latin
Latin
prae- + prendere
“to take beforehand, seize in advance”
Old French
Old French
surprendre
“to overtake, seize unexpectedly”
14th Century
Middle English
surprisen
“to take unawares; suddenly attack”
Modern English
English
surprise
“an unexpected event or the feeling it causes”
Explore more surprising origins