- surprise someone by something
- surprise someone by somethingto astonish someone by doing or being something. •
You surprised me by your forthrightness.
•No one was surprised by the way it happened.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
surprise someone by something
Look at other dictionaries:
catch/take someone or something by surprise — catch/take (someone or something) by surprise 1 : to happen to (someone or something) unexpectedly : to surprise (someone or something) The question caught him by surprise. The organization was taken completely by surprise by the announcement. 2 … Useful english dictionary
surprise — [sər prīz′, sə prīz′] vt. surprised, surprising [ME surprysen < OFr surpris, pp. of sorprendre, to surprise, take napping < sur (see SUR 1) + prendre, to take (see PRIZE2)] 1. to come upon suddenly or unexpectedly; take unawares 2. to at … English World dictionary
surprise — I UK [sə(r)ˈpraɪz] / US [sərˈpraɪz] noun Word forms surprise : singular surprise plural surprises *** Ways of expressing surprise: Goodness!/Good heavens!/(Oh) my God → used for showing that you are surprised Good grief! → used for showing that… … English dictionary
surprise — sur|prise1 [ sər praız ] noun *** 1. ) count an unusual or unexpected event: There were few surprises in the basketball playoffs this year. come as a surprise: Holman s arrest came as a surprise to the entire community. come as no surprise: Given … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
surprise — [[t]sə(r)pra͟ɪz[/t]] ♦♦ surprises, surprising, surprised 1) N COUNT: oft N to n A surprise is an unexpected event, fact, or piece of news. I have a surprise for you: We are moving to Switzerland!... It may come as a surprise to some that a normal … English dictionary
surprise*/*/*/ — [səˈpraɪz] noun I 1) [C] an unusual event, or an unexpected piece of news The news came as a big surprise to everyone.[/ex] Given the company s poor performance, the change of management came as no surprise.[/ex] 2) [U] the feeling that you have… … Dictionary for writing and speaking English
surprise — noun 1》 a feeling of mild astonishment or shock caused by something unexpected. 2》 an unexpected or astonishing thing. 3》 [as modifier] Bell ringing denoting a complex method of change ringing: surprise major. verb 1》 cause to feel surprise. 2》… … English new terms dictionary
surprise — sur•prise [[t]sərˈpraɪz, sə [/t]] v. prised, pris•ing, n. 1) to strike with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, esp. by being unexpected 2) to come upon or discover suddenly and unexpectedly 3) to make an unexpected assault on (an… … From formal English to slang
catch/take by surprise — catch/take (someone or something) by surprise 1 : to happen to (someone or something) unexpectedly : to surprise (someone or something) The question caught him by surprise. The organization was taken completely by surprise by the announcement. 2 … Useful english dictionary
throw (someone) a curve (ball) — American & Australian, informal to surprise someone with something that is difficult or unpleasant to deal with. The weather threw a curve at their barbecue and they had to eat indoors … New idioms dictionary
surprise — sur|prise1 W2S3 [səˈpraız US sər ] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(event)¦ 2¦(feeling)¦ 3 take/catch somebody by surprise 4 take somebody/something by surprise 5¦(gift/party etc)¦ 6 surprise guest/visitor etc 7 surprise! 8 9¦(method)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [ … Dictionary of contemporary English
