What's the difference between dismay and surprise?

Dismay


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive or firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to terrify.
  • (v. i.) To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet.
  • (v. i.) To take dismay or fright; to be filled with dismay.
  • (v. t.) Loss of courage and firmness through fear; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits; consternation.
  • (v. t.) Condition fitted to dismay; ruin.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) National newspapers and the BBC have joined forces to oppose Hague's secrecy application and on Friday expressed their dismay at the ruling.
  • (2) I scanned quickly through the available faces: there was one, all scrunched up in dismay about something or other.
  • (3) Brantly said he was first tested for malaria, but to his dismay, the results came back negative.
  • (4) Because the housing crisis goes far beyond us Focus E15 mums | Jasmin Stone Read more Annette May, 68, from Lambeth Annette May has watched with mounting dismay as the community fabric of the council estate where she has lived for 44 years steadily unravels.
  • (5) English speakers are the least optimistic about the chances of avoiding dangerous climate change Out of more than 6,000 self-selecting respondents, many expressed dismay at the slow pace of political action on climate change.
  • (6) "I feel gutted and dismayed but it's very important that we do everything we humanly can to protect vulnerable young people," Abbott told ABC radio.
  • (7) Leading figures in the social care sector have rushed to voice dismay at the feud.
  • (8) Chris Thomson, principal of Brighton, Hove and Sussex sixth form college What dismays me is the emphasis on qualifications rather than education.
  • (9) For all of this though, the visibility of people living on the streets can be shocking and it makes Perlman’s dismay wholly understandable.
  • (10) The Spanish family, who abandoned a private equity-backed takeover of National Express last month , was dismayed when National Express subsequently rejected a bid approach from Stagecoach, a rival public transport group.
  • (11) They’re dismayed because they’re seeing conservatives uniting behind our campaign.
  • (12) It was emphatically not, as the Tory right and the dismayed left have already concluded, evidence that Britain remains a fundamentally conservative country.
  • (13) It said it was "heavily dismayed to learn of the behaviour of Lee Trading with regard to the timely payment of its workers".
  • (14) I am dismayed at the terrible experience that Wafula Strike had … She is right to bring this matter to the department’s attention and I applaud her bravery for speaking openly about her experience.” The Paralympian condemned Stapleton’s experience: “It’s a real shame that what happened to me is still happening to other people.
  • (15) It dismays Kirk that Warp moved to London but he's still in touch with them and their releases, effusing particularly about DJ Mujava and "Township Funk".
  • (16) Suu Kyi's relationship with the generals has reportedly turned sour again In her tireless efforts to secure cooperation from the military, Suu Kyi has repeatedly expressed her appreciation, respect and “genuine” affection for the Tatmadaw (feudal military), which her father founded under Japan’s fascist patronage in December 1942, much to the dismay of many minorities who have borne the brunt of the organisation’s ruthless policies.
  • (17) Mark Malloch Brown, Britain's foreign office minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, expressed "dismay" over the law's impact on women's rights.
  • (18) We’ve maintained that commitment, but we have to make sure that we’re spending that money as effectively as possible.” The announcement will dismay some rightwing Conservatives, who fear it could push some wavering voters to Ukip.
  • (19) Hart respects the Argentinian but was dismayed to be sidelined for him.
  • (20) To the dismay of the Fostering Network and foster carers, however, there have been no moves to roll out the scheme nationally so that more of the 6,000 young people who leave care annually can opt to stay on in a supportive family environment.

Surprise


Definition:

  • (n.) The act of coming upon, or taking, unawares; the act of seizing unexpectedly; surprisal; as, the fort was taken by surprise.
  • (n.) The state of being surprised, or taken unawares, by some act or event which could not reasonably be foreseen; emotion excited by what is sudden and strange; a suddenly excited feeling of wonder or astonishment.
  • (n.) Anything that causes such a state or emotion.
  • (n.) A dish covered with a crust of raised paste, but with no other contents.
  • (n.) To come or fall suddenly and unexpectedly; to take unawares; to seize or capture by unexpected attack.
  • (n.) To strike with wonder, astonishment, or confusion, by something sudden, unexpected, or remarkable; to confound; as, his conduct surprised me.
  • (n.) To lead (one) to do suddenly and without forethought; to bring (one) into some unexpected state; -- with into; as, to be surprised into an indiscretion; to be surprised into generosity.
  • (n.) To hold possession of; to hold.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) If Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, who bought the island in 1738, were to return today he would doubtless recognise the scene, though he might be surprised that his small private buildings have grown into a sizable hotel.
  • (2) Surprisingly, the clonal elimination of V beta 6+ cells is preceded by marked expansion of these cells.
  • (3) Given Australia’s number one position as the worst carbon emitter per capita among major western nations it seems hardly surprising that islanders from Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and other small island developing states have been turning to Australia with growing exasperation demanding the country demonstrate an appropriate response and responsibility.
  • (4) S&P – the only one of the three major agencies not to have stripped the UK of its coveted AAA status – said it had been surprised at the pick-up in activity during 2013 – a year that began with fears of a triple-dip recession.
  • (5) Why is it so surprising to people that a boy like Chol, just out of conflict, has thought through the needs of his country in such a detailed way?” While Beah’s zeal is laudable, the situation in South Sudan is dire .
  • (6) Diabetic retinopathy (an index of microangiopathy) and absence of peripheral pulses, amputation, or history of myocardial infarction, stroke, or transient ischemic attacks (as evidence of macroangiopathy) caused surprisingly little increase in relative risk for cardiovascular death.
  • (7) Just don’t be surprised if they ask you to repair their phones, too.
  • (8) One surprising finding is that the MAL1g-encoded maltose permease exhibits little sequence homology to the MAL1-encoded maltose permease though they appear to be functionally homologous.
  • (9) Surprisingly, however, despite the severe defect in viral DNA replication, the synthesis of a few species of viral late proteins continues in cells infected by some of the E1B mutants.
  • (10) Thus, during treatment with ethambutol visually (pattern) evoked potentials may reveal a surprisingly high percentage of subclinical optic neuritis.
  • (11) Somewhat surprisingly then, in view of the mechanisms in mammals, birds do not seem to use this seasonal message in the photoperiodic control of reproduction.
  • (12) Infants were habituated to models posing either prototypically positive displays (e.g., happy expressions) or positive expression blends (e.g., mock surprise).
  • (13) The BBA statistics director, David Dooks, said: "It was no surprise to see the January mortgage figures falling back from December, when transactions were being pushed through to beat the end of stamp duty relief.
  • (14) "We knew people would be interested in the announcement, but it's fair to say that the scale of the excitement, right across the world, took us all by surprise.
  • (15) When you have champions of financial rectitude such as the International Monetary Fund and OECD warning of the international risk of an "explosion of social unrest" and arguing for a new fiscal stimulus if growth continues to falter, it's hardly surprising that tensions in the cabinet over next month's spending review are spilling over.
  • (16) Myelodysplastic preleukemic syndromes (MDPS) and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) share a surprising in vivo sensitivity to the hormonally acting 13 cis or all trans retinoic acids (transRA).
  • (17) Apple has come out fighting, which is no surprise given the remarkable success that the company has seen in recent years.
  • (18) His words surprised some because of an impression that the US was unwilling to talk about these issues.
  • (19) A teaching union has questioned appointment of a trustee of Britain's largest academy chain group as chairman of the schools regulator Ofsted , in what was a surprise announcement meant to calm some of the internal conflicts within the coalition.
  • (20) Given that a post-poll economy still registers as a crucial issue among undecided voters, and that matters economic are now his BBC day job, that was hardly surprising.