SURPRISING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does surprising mean? 

• SURPRISING (adjective)
  The adjective SURPRISING has 1 sense:

1. causing surprise or wonder or amazement

  Familiarity information: SURPRISING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SURPRISING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Causing surprise or wonder or amazement

Context example:

she earned a surprising amount of money

Similar:

amazing; astonishing (surprising greatly)

startling (so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm)

stunning (causing great astonishment and consternation)

Also:

unexpected (not expected or anticipated)

Antonym:

unsurprising (not causing surprise)

Derivation:

surprisingness (extraordinariness by virtue of being unexpected)

 Context examples 

But there was yet another surprising finding from the gas observations from Hawaii.

(Size matters: if you are a bubble of volcanic gas, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Earth maintains its balance, often in surprising ways.

(Study reveals surprising role of dust in mountain ecosystems, National Science Foundation)

The results were surprising, to say the least.

(Asteroids, Hydrogen Make Great Recipe for Life on Mars, NASA)

By combining the power of a "natural lens" in space with the capability of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers made a surprising discovery.

(Massive Dead Disk Galaxy Challenges Theories of Galaxy Evolution, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Elinor set him right as to its situation; and it seemed rather surprising to him that anybody could live in Devonshire, without living near Dawlish.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

A long discussion followed, and everyone came out surprising, for everyone did her best.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He was surprised at the eagerness which animated the whole team and which was communicated to him; but still more surprising was the change wrought in Dave and Sol-leks.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

I assure you, then, that what I am about to tell you, surprising as it may seem, is the absolute and undeniable truth concerning the mysterious death of Captain Barrington.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Well! that is quite surprising, for we have had a vast deal of rain here.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Simple as it has been in its leading features, it has none the less presented surprising difficulties in the way of an arrest.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)