different between mystify vs surprise

English

Etymology

From French mystifier, from Ancient Greek ???????? (mustikós, “secret, mystic”) + Latin -ficare.

Verb

mystify (third-person singular simple present mystifies, present participle mystifying, simple past and past participle mystified)

1. (transitive) To thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or bewilder.

Related terms

• mysterious
• mystery
• mystic
• mystical
• mysticism
• mystique

Translations

Further reading

• mystify in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• mystify in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• mystify at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Alternative forms

• surprize (US, rare)

Etymology

From Middle English surprise, borrowed from Middle French surprise (“an overtake”), nominal use of the past participle of Old French sorprendre (“to overtake”), from sor- (“over”) + prendre (“to take”), from Latin super- + Latin prendere, contracted from prehendere (“to grasp, seize”). Doublet of suppli.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /s??p?a?z/
• (General American) enPR: s?rpr?z?, IPA^(key): /s??p?a?z/
• (General American, r-dissimilation) enPR: s?pr?z?, IPA^(key): /s??p?a?z/
• Hyphenation: sur?prise
• Rhymes: -a?z

Noun

surprise (countable and uncountable, plural surprises)

1. Something unexpected.
   • 2013, Daniel Taylor, Rickie Lambert’s debut goal gives England victory over Scotland (in The Guardian, 14 August 2013)[1]

     They had begun brightly but the opening goal was such a blow to their confidence it almost came as a surprise when Walcott, running through the inside-right channel, beat the offside trap and, checking back on to his left foot, turned a low shot beyond Allan McGregor in the Scotland goal.

   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     Surprise! - A party! Awesome!

2. The feeling that something unexpected has happened.
3. (obsolete) A dish covered with a crust of raised pastry, but with no other contents.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of King to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (something unexpected): more than one bargained for
• (attributively: unexpected): unexpected
• (feeling): astonishment

Derived terms

• take by surprise
• surpriseful
• surpriseless

Translations

Verb

surprise (third-person singular simple present surprises, present participle surprising, simple past and past participle surprised)

1. (transitive) To cause (someone) to feel unusually alarmed or delighted by something unexpected.

2. (transitive) To do something to (a person) that they are not expecting, as a surprise.

3. (intransitive) To undergo or witness something unexpected.

4. (intransitive) To cause surprise.
5. (transitive) To attack unexpectedly.
6. (transitive) To take unawares.

Synonyms

• (to come upon unexpectedly): overtake

Translations

Anagrams

• spurries, uprisers

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French surprise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s?r?pri?z?/
• Hyphenation: sur?pri?se
• Rhymes: -i?z?

Noun

surprise f (plural surprises, diminutive surprisetje n)

1. (Netherlands) a gift wrapped in an ingenious or creative manner; often given anonymously during Sinterklaas celebrations in a similar way to secret Santa
2. a surprise gift
3. (obsolete) a surprise

   Synonym: verrassing

Derived terms

• sinterklaassurprise

French

Etymology

From the feminine of surpris, past participle of the verb surprendre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sy?.p?iz/

Verb

surprise

1. feminine singular of the past participle of surprendre

Adjective

surprise

1. feminine singular of surpris

Noun

surprise f (plural surprises)

1. surprise (something unexpected)

Derived terms

• quelle surprise

Further reading

• “surprise” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Noun

surprise f (plural surprises)

1. Alternative form of surprinse

Adjective

surprise

1. feminine singular of surpris

Verb

surprise

1. feminine singular of the past participle of surprendre