surprisingly
Americanadverb
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in a way that causes a feeling of wonder or astonishment.
The artist creates works that are both approachable and surprisingly sophisticated.
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in a way that is seen as unlikely or unexpected.
Despite its geographic isolation and small population, Reykjavik is surprisingly cosmopolitan.
The phone has an impressive array of features, and yet is surprisingly affordable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of surprisingly
Explanation
When something happens in a way that amazes you, use the adverb surprisingly, like when you find the kids at your new school to be surprisingly friendly. If a situation is surprising, it is completely unexpected — and you can say that it happens surprisingly. You might discover that the day is surprisingly warm, and you don't need your furry hat after all; or you may realize that college is surprisingly difficult after you breezed through high school. The French root word is surprise, "a taking unawares," which comes from surprendre, "to overtake." Surprisingly is surprisingly old, dating from the 1600's.
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.
Voters in Los Angeles will settle a surprisingly competitive mayoral race in Tuesday's midterm vote, a bitter showdown between two progressive women of color who were once allies.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
Morgan Rogers: A surprisingly anonymous start and struggled in the number nine position until he was given the chance to run at United's defence, scoring with a sublime dink in the 50th minute.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Take, for instance, the relationship between gold and platinum prices — which has a surprisingly strong historical record of predicting stock-market returns over the 12 months that follow.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
For now, the findings establish that even a tiny jumping spider can experience a surprisingly complex form of sleep.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
For someone who'd recently died a horrible death, she seemed surprisingly cheerful.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
