mid-15c., "injury, wrong, outrage," from supprise (v.) "overpower, subdue, put down; grieve, afflict" (c.1400), also "take unawares, attack unexpectedly" (mid-15c.), from Anglo-French supprise, fem. past participle of supprendre, variant of sorprendre (see surprise, n.). The noun later also had sense "oppression; surprise attack," but perhaps originally was an alternate form of surprise used in a specific sense.