Surprising (adjective) describes something that causes mild astonishment or unexpectedness. It often conveys a sense of suddenness and the reaction it provokes. In use, it notes that the surprise is noteworthy but not overwhelming, and it can describe a person who tends to surprise others as well.
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"The magician pulled a rabbit from the hat, and the crowd’s reaction was surprising."
"Her quick thinking led to a surprising turnaround in the project’s timeline."
"It’s surprising how often small errors derail an otherwise smooth plan."
"The study produced surprising results that challenged conventional wisdom."
The word surprising comes from Middle English surgyiven, influenced by the French surprendre, rooted in the verb surprendre meaning 'to seize by surprise' (from late Latin sub- + prehendere 'to take, seize'). By the 14th century, English adopted the form surprenyn or surprysen as a participial adjective from the verb surprise, eventually stabilizing as surprising in the modern sense of causing astonishment. The current sense — 'causing surprise' — emerged as English syntax allowed adjectives derived from participles to modify nouns, with -ing suffix denoting ongoing or inherent quality. The ancestor root is tied to “prise” (take, seize) with prefix sub- indicating underneath an expectation, evolving via Old French and Latin into a term that captures the dynamic act of catching someone off guard. First known uses appear in literary texts from the 15th century, initially describing events that unexpectedly occurred to the subject, gradually broadening to describe people, phenomena, and outcomes that provoke surprise. Over time, surprising has become a versatile descriptor across registers, from colloquial to formal, retaining the core sense of unexpectedness and reaction. Contemporary usage couples it with adjectives and nouns to emphasize degree of astonishment or incongruity (e.g., surprisingly high, surprisingly close).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "surprising" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "surprising"
-ing sounds
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Pronounce as suˈpraɪ.zɪŋ. The primary stress is on the second syllable: su-PRY-zing. The first syllable has a reduced schwa /ə/; the second contains the diphthong /aɪ/ as in 'eye'. The final -ing is /zɪŋ/ because the preceding sound ends in a voiceless /z/ from the /z/ of 'surprise' link. Mouth position: begin with relaxed lips for /s/ and /ə/, raise the tongue to produce /praɪ/ with a slight glide, then finish with a nasal /ŋ/. IPA: US/UK/AU /səˈpraɪ.zɪŋ/.
Two common mistakes: (1) Misplacing the primary stress—people say /ˈsuː.prɪ.zɪŋ/ or /ˈsəˈpraɪ.zɪŋ/. Correct is /səˈpraɪ.zɪŋ/ with stress on the second syllable. (2) Mispronouncing the /praɪ/ as /prem/ or /prə/; ensure you articulate the /aɪ/ diphthong clearly and avoid turning it into a simple /ɪ/ or /i/ vowel. Also watch for the final -ing as /ɪŋ/ rather than a clipped /ŋ/ after a consonant boundary. Practicing slow syllables helps: sə-PRY-zING.
In US/UK/AU, primary stress remains on the second syllable: sə-PRY-zing. Vowel quality in /ə/ is slightly reduced in faster speech; rhoticity affects the preceding /r/ in 'sur-'; US includes rhotic r coloring in the /r/ if following vowels, UK and AU often have less rhotic flavor in non-rhotic positions. The /aɪ/ diphthong is typically a tight, forward glide in all, with minor length differences. Final /zɪŋ/ is consistent, but Australian English may show slightly less vowel reduction in the first syllable and a more centralized /ə/.
The difficulty lies in the two-part stress pattern and the /aɪ/ diphthong blending into a voiced consonant cluster /z/ + /ɪŋ/. You must maintain secondary cueing between the syllables while articulating a clear /z/ before the final /ɪŋ/. Quick transitions can flatten the /ə/ into a less distinct schwa, muddying the second syllable’s vowel. Focus on sustaining the /ə/ before the /ˈpraɪ/ glide and clearly releasing into /zɪŋ/.
Notice that the second syllable begins with a strong /pr/ cluster; ensure the /p/ is aspirated slightly and the /r/ is soft, letting the /aɪ/ glide smoothly into /z/. A practical focus: pronounce sə with a relaxed jaw, then release into PRY with a crisp /p/ and a not-too-rolled /r/ (depending on accent). End with /zɪŋ/ where the /z/ is voiced and the following /ɪ/ is short, then nasal /ŋ/.
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