unexpected

American

[uhn-ik-spek-tid] / ˌʌn ɪkˈspɛk tɪd /

adjective

not expected; unforeseen; surprising.

an unexpected pleasure;
an unexpected development.

unexpected British

/ ˌʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd /

adjective

surprising or unforeseen

"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

Related Words

See sudden.

Other Word Forms

unexpectedly adverb
unexpectedness noun

Etymology

Origin of unexpected

First recorded in 1580–90; un- ¹ + expect + -ed ²

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.

Most of the time I could barely see past the fans, but I hoped the final song would give me something unexpected.

From Los Angeles Times

The actor trained rigorously in table tennis for the role and the match scenes reach heights of tension unexpected for the sport.

From Barron's

But the ultimate factor is a mind that reconceives something so brilliantly that the result creates a higher level of perception and experience, surprising and inspiring us by its unexpected art.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a year when little turned out the way we hoped it might, it’s nice to be thrown for a loop by someone unexpected.

From Salon

A Santa rally is not guaranteed, and if 2025 has taught investors anything—with whipsaws from tariffs, artificial intelligence, and more—it is to expect the unexpected.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023