Cool MateSurprised vs Took the suspects by surprise
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Surprised
Top 1,000 (very common)A2adjective
Took the suspects by surprise
Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Surprised
| Surprised | Took the suspects by surprise | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/səˈpraɪzd/"]/🇺🇸 /["/sərˈpraɪzd/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //tʊk ðə ˈsʌspɛkts baɪ sərˈpraɪz//🇺🇸 //tʊk ðə ˈsʌspɛkts baɪ sərˈpraɪz// |
| Meaning | Feeling shocked or taken aback by something unexpected. | caught the suspects off guard |
| Example | I was surprised to see my friend at the party. | The police took the suspects by surprise during the early morning raid. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | appear, be, feel, extremely, fairly, very, at, by | take someone by surprise, catch someone by surprise, took everyone by surprise |
| Antonyms | unimpressed, bored, predictable | prepared, expectant |
| Common mistakes | Confusing with 'surprise' as a verb., Using it inappropriately to describe a planned event., Incorrectly using 'surprised' as a noun. | Omitting 'the' before 'suspects'., Using 'took' in past perfect when simple past is appropriate., Confusing 'take by surprise' with 'catch off guard'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'surprised' when describing a reaction to unexpected events. It's appropriate in both casual and formal contexts, but in very formal writing, you might choose a synonym like 'taken aback'. | Use in situations where someone is unexpectedly surprised. Suitable for both spoken and written contexts but avoid in overly formal situations. |
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Frequently asked questions: Surprised vs Took the suspects by surprise
What's the difference between Surprised and Took the suspects by surprise?
Surprised: Feeling shocked or taken aback by something unexpected. Took the suspects by surprise: caught the suspects off guard
Which is more common: Surprised and Took the suspects by surprise?
Surprised is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Surprised: I was surprised to see my friend at the party. Took the suspects by surprise: The police took the suspects by surprise during the early morning raid.
Can I use Surprised and Took the suspects by surprise interchangeably?
Not always. Surprised and Took the suspects by surprise are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.