aback
Americanadverb
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toward the back.
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Nautical. so that the wind presses against the forward side of the sail or sails.
adjective
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(of a sail) positioned so that the wind presses against the forward side.
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(of a yard) positioned so that its sail is laid aback.
idioms
adverb
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startled or disconcerted
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nautical (of a vessel or sail) having the wind against the forward side so as to prevent forward motion
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rare towards the back; backwards
Etymology
Origin of aback
First recorded before 1000; Middle English abak, Old English on bæc “to the rear”; a- 1, on, back 1
Explanation
To be taken aback is to be taken by surprise. You might be taken aback when your grandmother suddenly demonstrates her yodeling skills. When you see the adverb aback, it almost always follows the verb "to take." When you're taken aback, you're startled, often by another person's actions. If someone makes a rude comment at a dinner party, for example, you'll be taken aback. The word dates from about 1200, and it comes from the Old English on bæc, "at or on the back." It was first used as a nautical term for a strong wind flattening the sail against the ship's mast.
Vocabulary lists containing aback
The Diary of Anne Frank
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Just Mercy
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The man was clearly taken aback, some of the other patrons chuckling in surprise, the Dodger pulse of this town clearly resonating in a completely unusual fashion.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026
Jessica Henwick is taken aback by the suggestion.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
When county clerk Brianna Lennon got an email in November saying a newly expanded federal system had flagged 74 people on the county’s voter roll as potential noncitizens, she was taken aback.
From Salon • Feb. 27, 2026
Wijgaarts, 40, was taken aback, thinking they were just in Paris for a weekend getaway.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
It was such a contrast to his restraint of a few minutes ago that Armstrong was quite taken aback.
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
