Learn 20 Interesting Surprise Expressions

These expressions are used to convey shock, amazement, or disbelief. Discover 20 idioms and phrasal verbs to express surprise effectively.

Surprise Expressions

1. Blow someone away
   Meaning: Impress someone greatly
   Example: The movie really blew me away.
2. Take aback
   Meaning: Surprise or shock greatly
   Example: She was taken aback by his proposal.
3. Knock someone’s socks off
   Meaning: Amaze or astonish someone
   Example: The fireworks will knock your socks off!
4. Jump out of one’s skin
   Meaning: React strongly due to shock
   Example: He jumped out of his skin when the door slammed.
5. Blow someone’s mind
   Meaning: Greatly surprise or amaze
   Example: Her performance blew my mind.
6. Hit like a ton of bricks
   Meaning: Have a sudden, shocking impact
   Example: The news hit him like a ton of bricks.
7. Raise eyebrows
   Meaning: Cause surprise or mild shock
   Example: His eccentric outfit raised some eyebrows.
8. Drop a bombshell
   Meaning: Reveal shocking news or information
   Example: She dropped a bombshell about her resignation.
9. Turn up like a bad penny
   Meaning: Appear unexpectedly, often unpleasantly
   Example: He turned up like a bad penny at the party.
10. Fall off one’s chair
    Meaning: Be extremely surprised
    Example: I almost fell off my chair when I heard that!
11. Hit someone for six
    Meaning: Greatly surprise or shock someone
    Example: The unexpected results hit her for six.
12. Come as a shock
    Meaning: Be surprising and unexpected
    Example: The sudden announcement came as a shock.
13. Take by surprise
    Meaning: Surprise unexpectedly
    Example: The storm took us by surprise.
14. Make someone’s jaw drop
    Meaning: Greatly surprise or astonish
    Example: The stunning view made my jaw drop.
15. Catch off guard
    Meaning: Surprise someone unexpectedly
    Example: The question caught her off guard.
16. Throw for a loop
    Meaning: Confuse or surprise greatly
    Example: The unexpected twist threw him for a loop.
17. In for a surprise
    Meaning: About to be surprised
    Example: She was in for a surprise at the party.
18. Blow out of the water
    Meaning: Surprise or overwhelm greatly
    Example: The team’s performance blew us out of the water.
19. Pull the rug out from under
    Meaning: Surprise or unsettle suddenly
    Example: The sudden firing pulled the rug out from under her.
20. Shock to the system
    Meaning: A big, surprising change
    Example: Moving to a new city was a shock to the system.