to surprise someone unexpectedly, often causing harm or trouble

prendre au dépourvu, surprendre désagréablement
to overwhelm or astonish someone, especially with something difficult to comprehend or believe

sidérer, stupéfier
to confuse someone, making it difficult for them to understand or think clearly

confondre
having a feeling of shock or amazement that leaves one temporarily speechless

abasourdi, stupéfait
a sudden, short exclamation showing strong emotion

exclamation, interjection
expressing a strong and sudden emotion or reaction

exclamatif, exclamatoire
extremely surprised or astonished to the point of being speechless or confused

abasourdi, sidéré
to surprise or shock someone greatly

abasourdir, sidérer
to breathe in sharply with an open mouth, often in response to surprise, pain, or intense emotions

haleter, s'exclamer
extremely shocked or surprised, to the point of becoming speechless

abasourdi, sidéré
to stare in amazement or with a dazed expression

regarder bouche bée, fixer avec ébahissement
a sudden strong feeling of shock, surprise, or excitement

secousse, choc
to exhibit an abrupt, involuntary physical response, typically involving a sudden movement or jerk

sursauter, bondir
to feel amazed or puzzled by something extraordinary or remarkable

s'émerveiller
(of eyes) to open wide and appear to bulge

sortir, exorbiter
something that causes widespread excitement or interest among people

sensation, phénomène
causing people to experience great interest, shock, curiosity, or excitement

sensationnel, époustouflant
to cause someone to be emotionally disturbed or shocked

secouer, ébranler
to surprise or upset someone greatly

choquer, bouleverser
unable to speak for a short time, particularly as a result of surprise, shock, or anger

muet
to cause someone to be surprised, overwhelmed, or deeply affected

stupéfier, abasourdir
to suddenly make an involuntary movement in reaction to a shock or surprise

sursauter
to cause a sudden shock or surprise, resulting in a quick, involuntary reaction

effrayer, surprendre
to surprise or shock someone, often by something unexpected, leaving them temporarily unable to react

stupéfier, abasourdir
a state of being shocked or amazed to the point of being unable to think clearly

stupeur, hébétude
a mild feeling of shock we have when something unusual happens

surprise
feeling or showing shock or amazement

surpris
causing a feeling of shock, disbelief, or wonder

surprenant, étonnant
to surprise someone so much that they are unable to react quickly

surprendre, déconcerter
to cause someone to feel confused or perplexed, often by introducing unexpected information

déconcerter, désorienter
extremely surprised or shocked, unable to speak

sidéré, abasourdi
having eyes fully open, often showing surprise, wonder, or innocence

aux yeux écarquillés, ébahi
a feeling of admiration or surprise caused by something that is very unusual and exciting

émerveillement
feeling terrified or shocked about something terrible or unexpected

horrifié, atterré, accablé
to greatly surprise someone

étonner, stupéfier
a feeling of great wonder, often due to something extraordinary

étonnement
to impress or surprise someone very much

étonner
to greatly shock or surprise someone

stupéfier, étonner
temporarily unable to think of what to say or how to express oneself, often due to shock, surprise, or intense emotion

sans voix, ne pas trouver ses mots
