| This time we are looking at words to do with surprise. Surprise, astonish, amaze, and astound all mean to strike with wonder because of unexpectedness, strangeness and unusualness. But they have degrees of intensity; surprise is the mildest whilst astounded is to be overwhelmed by surprise the same as dumbfounded and flabbergasted. Surprise also means to encounter suddenly or unexpectedly as in the idiomatic phrase; to catch unawares. Finally surprise can mean to attack with out warning
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Surprise meaning to feel wonder
1. Getting a birthday cake from the people in the office was a nice surprise. 2. Mary astonished her Chinese guests by speaking fluent Mandarin. 3. David was amazed at how expensive everything in London was. 4. Peter was astounded by his son's memory. He could remember everything that had happened. 5. Susan was so shocked by the news she couldn't speak. She was dumbfounded. 6. Peter was absolutely flabbergasted when the doctor told him his wife had had twins. 7. They were awed by the silence of the desert.
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| Surprise meaning to encounter suddenly
8. It was very embarrassing. My teacher caught me unawares as I was coming out of the shower. 9. You startled me! I didn't see you in the dark!
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Surprise meaning to attack without warning
10. The robbers waited in hiding so as to bushwack the tourists when they left the restaurant. 11. I was waylaid on my way home by a woman wanting to sell me her dog. 12. The soldiers were ambushed by a rebel force.
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