Advertisement

Origin and history of surprising

surprising(adj.)

1640s, "coming upon unexpectedly;" 1660s, "extraordinary, astonishing, exciting surprise," present-participle adjective from surprise (v.). Related: Surprisingly.

also from 1640s

Entries linking to surprising

surprise(v.)

also formerly surprize, late 14c., surprisen, "overcome, overpower" (in reference to emotions, a sense now obsolete), from the noun or from Anglo-French surprise, fem. past participle of Old French surprendre (see surprise (n.), and compare supprise).

The military sense of "attack without warning" is by 1540s; the general sense of "come upon unexpectedly" is from 1590s; that of "strike with sudden astonishment" is 1650s.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    e-mail
    The pneumatic tube system was even swifter, and with such facilities at hand it is not surprising that people in San Francisco...
    spanking
    1660s, "very big or fine, strikingly large or surprising in any way," later (especially of horses) "moving at a spirited...
    ditch
    ground in making a trench is heaped up on the side, the ditch and the bank are constructed by the same act, and it is not surprising...
    Averroes
    early in the thirteenth century by Michael Scott; as his works belong to the latter half of the twelfth century, this is surprising...
    bless
    Palmer ("The Latin Language") writes, "There is nothing surprising in the semantic development of a word denoting originally...
    strange
    The sense of "queer, surprising" also is implied from c. 1300....
    Hoyle
    It may therefore be rather surprising to learn that Hoyle died over 200 years ago, and positively disconcerting find that...
    impress
    late 14c., "have a strong effect on the mind or heart, to stamp deeply in the mind," from Latin impressus, past participle of imprimere "press into or upon, stamp," also figurative, from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + premere "to press, ho
    shock
    1560s, "violent encounter of armed forces or a pair of warriors," a military term, from French choc "violent attack," from Old French choquer "strike against," probably from Frankish, from a Proto-Germanic imitative base (compare Middle Dutch schokken "to push, jolt," Old High Ge
    amaze
    "overwhelm or confound with sudden surprise or wonder," 1580s, a back-formation from Middle English amased "stunned, dazed, bewildered," (late 14c.), earlier "stupefied, irrational, foolish" (c. 1200), from Old English amasod, from a- (1), probably used here as an intensive prefi

    Share surprising

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near surprising
    Advertisement