different between surprising vs exceptional

English

Etymology

From surprise +? -ing.

Pronunciation

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

Verb

surprising

1. present participle of surprise

Adjective

surprising (comparative more surprising, superlative most surprising)

1. Causing surprise.

Synonyms

• astonishing, unexpected

Derived terms

• surprisingly

See Thesaurus:surprising

Translations

Noun

surprising (plural surprisings)

1. A situation in which somebody is surprised.
   • 1983, David Dowling, Novelists on Novelists (page xii)

     But the comments of most of these novelists are the record of their continual surprisings by the varieties of moral and aesthetic truths.

English

Etymology

exception +? -al

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k?s?p??n?l/
• Hyphenation: ex?cep?tion?al

Adjective

exceptional (comparative more exceptional, superlative most exceptional)

1. Forming an exception; not ordinary; uncommon; rare.

   What an exceptional flower!

2. Better than the average; superior due to exception or rarity.

   The quality of the beer was exceptional.

3. (geometry) Corresponding to something of lower dimension under a birational correspondence.

   an exceptional curve; an exceptional divisor

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:excellent
• egregious (most often used negatively, however)

Antonyms

• (forming an exception): ordinary, categorical, common, general, usual
• (superior due to exception or rarity): ordinary, mediocre, commonplace

Derived terms

• exceptional space
• exceptionally
• exceptionalism

Translations

Noun

exceptional (plural exceptionals)

1. An exception, or something having an exceptional value
   • 1909, Pediatrics (volume 21, page 276)

     Above and beyond all these exceptionals, by reason of divergencies from the norms of mental and of physical status, there are quite a number of moral defectives.