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”; see 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.
After the destruction of the Verona fire, Teller was taken aback by the support from neighbors and even his competition in the beekeeping business.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
"Don't put me in the same category as those two!" says Jay Lovell, taken aback as his name is mentioned in the same breath as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
When it debuted in March 2021, the health-focused Goop Kitchen had so many orders that even Paltrow was taken aback.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Smart said she was a little taken aback when she first learned how things would pan out for aging comic Deborah Vance and her mentee Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
The prince seemed a little taken aback by the display in front of him, especially when half a peach landed on his shoe.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
