unexpected

[uhn-ik-spek-tid]

See more synonyms for unexpected on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not expected; unforeseen; surprising: an unexpected pleasure; an unexpected development.

Origin of unexpected

First recorded in 1580–90; un-¹ + expect + -ed²

Related formsun·ex·pect·ed·ly, adverbun·ex·pect·ed·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for unexpected on Thesaurus.com

unanticipated. See sudden.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unexpected

Contemporary Examples

Airline pilots are now slowly, too slowly, being given access to flight simulators able to reproduce sudden and unexpected upsets.
Did Bad Weather Bring Down AirAsia 8501?
Clive Irving
December 29, 2014
Now imagine that one day hope appeared, an unexpected opportunity to free yourself, to finally be yourself.
The Insurance Company Promised a Gender Reassignment. Then They Made a Mistake.
James Joiner
December 29, 2014
And the chord structure, for those of you who play an instrument, is unexpected and worth checking out.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.
Michael Tomasky
December 24, 2014
During this time, Mailer also displayed an unexpected humility in the company of his fellow literary stars.
Mailer’s Letters Pack a Punch and a Surprising Degree of Sweetness
Ronald K. Fried
December 14, 2014
Return of the King had Smeagol, An Unexpected Journey featured Frodo and an older Bilbo.
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth
Alex Suskind
December 4, 2014

Historical Examples

I might have paid them at the time, but it was all so unexpected and so sudden,—it rattled me, quite.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
This unexpected opposition excited the fierce resentment of the captain.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
No one was more surprised than Robert at the unexpected inheritance.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
It is curious to note the extent to which the unexpected has come about.
'Tis Sixty Years Since
Charles Francis Adams
Sallie Calkins was somewhat flurried by this unexpected call.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden

British Dictionary definitions for unexpected

unexpected

adjective

surprising or unforeseen

Derived Formsunexpectedly, adverbunexpectedness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unexpected

adj.

1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of expect. Related: Unexpectedly.

unexpected

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}unexpected

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for unexpected

Contemporary Examples

Airline pilots are now slowly, too slowly, being given access to flight simulators able to reproduce sudden and unexpected upsets.

Now imagine that one day hope appeared, an unexpected opportunity to free yourself, to finally be yourself.

And the chord structure, for those of you who play an instrument, is unexpected and worth checking out.

During this time, Mailer also displayed an unexpected humility in the company of his fellow literary stars.

Return of the King had Smeagol, An Unexpected Journey featured Frodo and an older Bilbo.

Historical Examples

I might have paid them at the time, but it was all so unexpected and so sudden,—it rattled me, quite.

This unexpected opposition excited the fierce resentment of the captain.

No one was more surprised than Robert at the unexpected inheritance.

It is curious to note the extent to which the unexpected has come about.

Sallie Calkins was somewhat flurried by this unexpected call.

unexpected

Word Origin and History for unexpected

adj.

Origin of unexpected