How does the verb surprise contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of surprise are amaze, astonish, astound, and flabbergast. While all these words mean "to impress forcibly through unexpectedness," surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

Where would amaze be a reasonable alternative to surprise?

The meanings of amaze and surprise largely overlap; however, amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

When is it sensible to use astonish instead of surprise?

While the synonyms astonish and surprise are close in meaning, astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

When is astound a more appropriate choice than surprise?

The words astound and surprise are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

When might flabbergast be a better fit than surprise?

In some situations, the words flabbergast and surprise are roughly equivalent. However, flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.