surprisingly
Americanadverb
-
in a way that causes a feeling of wonder or astonishment.
The artist creates works that are both approachable and surprisingly sophisticated.
-
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
- unsurprisingly adverb
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.
If you haven’t heard of Allbirds, picture the first time you learned that merino wool is surprisingly soft and breathable for socks.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
Not surprisingly, the likelihood of high-positive, low-positive and neutral descriptions declined throughout the life cycle, while the high-negative category increased sharply among the oldest sellers.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
To explain, let’s begin by noting that it is surprisingly difficult to give an adequate definition of lying.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
Just as the market is prone to overreact, though, it can be surprisingly slow to grasp the gravity of a really major crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Given the sharp sectional divisions in the debate, the vote to refer the petitions to a committee was surprisingly one-sided, 43 to 11; seven of the negative votes came from South Carolina and Georgia.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
