surprisingly
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Etymology
From surprising + -ly.
Pronunciation
Adverb
surprisingly (comparative more surprisingly, superlative most surprisingly)
- In a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual.
- Synonym: believe it or not (synonymous with the sentence adverb sense)
- Antonyms: unsurprisingly; predictably; as usual (and its synonyms)
- Near-synonyms: unexpectedly, unusually
- The house was surprisingly small for such a numerous family.
- Not surprisingly, the electrician didn't come at the time he had said.
- 2012 April 23, Angelique Chrisafis, “François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election”, in the Guardian:
- François Hollande has moved a step closer to becoming the first Socialist president of France in a generation by beating the incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy, in the first round of elections. But the surprisingly high vote for the extreme-right candidate, Marine Le Pen, boosted the overall figures for the right and meant that the final runoff vote on 6 May remains on a knife edge.
Usage notes
- This adverb is more often used to modify an adjective than a verb. It also often functions as a disjunct in the form of a sentence adverb.
Translations
in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
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