ppl. a. [f. prec. + -ED1.]
1. Attacked or come upon unexpectedly; captured by sudden attack; taken by surprise or unawares. Also absol.
1620. in Foster, Eng. Factories Ind. (1906), 210. Through the Decans campe and lately surprized cuntries.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., III. ii. § 6. 303. The result … of a surprized Judgment.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, II. 514. So, from our arms, surpris’d Androgeos flies.
1779. Collins’ Peerage, II. 74, The Earl … recovered the town, and revenged the death of the surprised.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xlv. A dignity which … inspired courage into his surprised and dismayed followers.
1901. ‘Linesman,’ Words by Eyewitness (1902), 311. The confusion, terror, and indignation of the surprised gives little scope or will to take prisoners those of the beaten surprisers whom it is impossible to shoot.
2. Excited to wonder by something unexpected; affected or characterized by surprise.
1883. Mr. Burke’s Nieces, i. 11. She had a bright colour, and large surprised blue eyes.
1885. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ At Bay, iv. 69. The surprised admiration which Elsie and her home had excited on his first visit.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 48. San Thomé … was discovered by its surprised neighbours to be amassing great wealth by growing coffee.
Hence Surprisedly adv., † (a) by surprise or sudden attack; (b) in a manner expressing surprise, with surprise; Surprisedness, state of being surprised (in quot. transf. quality of being caused by surprise).
1672. H. More, Brief Reply, 65. The invincibleness of the mistake, the sudden surprisedness … of the mistake may be a ground … of excusing the person as to the severity of punishment. Ibid. (1680), Apocal. Apoc., 188. ‘For in one hour is she made desolate’; that is, surprizedly and unexpectedly.
1867. Miss Broughton, Cometh up as Flower, x. Nothing could be more surprisedly pitifully penitent than the expression of his … eyes.
