adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/səˈpɹaɪzɪŋli/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S ER0 P R AY1 Z IH0 NG L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:S AH0 P R AY1 Z IH0 NG L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
In a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
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.
Chema'd, surprisingly, paid for everything.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: believe it or not[sentence adverb]] sense>, unexpectedly, unusually
Antonyms: unsurprisingly, predictably, as usual[as usual
2
adverb
Meaning 2
in a surprising manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he was surprisingly friendly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adverb
Meaning 3
in an amazing manner; to everyone's surprise
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
amazingly, he finished medical school in three years
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: amazingly, astonishingly
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English surprising Middle English -ly English -ly English surprisingly From surprising + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
91 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
çuditërisht
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Asturian:
sorprendentemente
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Azerbaijani:
təəccüblə
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Bashkir:
ғәжәп
(ğəjəp)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Breton:
eston
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Bulgarian:
изненадващо
(iznenadvašto)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Bulgarian:
неочаквано
(neočakvano)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Catalan:
sorprenentment
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese Cantonese:
竟
(ging2)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese Cantonese:
竟然
(ging2 jin4)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese Cantonese:
居然
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese Cantonese:
出乎意料地
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese:
竟
(kèng)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese:
竟然
(zh-min-nan)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese:
居然
(kir-liân, ku-liân, ki-jiân)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese Mandarin:
竟
(jìng)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese Mandarin:
竟然
(jìngrán)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese Mandarin:
居然
(jūrán)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Chinese Mandarin:
出乎意料地
(chūhūyìliào de)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Wu Chinese:
居然
(1ciu-zoe)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Wu Chinese:
先勿先
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Cornish:
marthys
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Czech:
překvapivě
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Danish:
overraskende
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Dutch:
verrassend
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Esperanto:
surprize
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Esperanto:
surprizante
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Estonian:
üllatavalt
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Finnish:
ihmeteltävästi
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Finnish:
yllätyksellisesti
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Finnish:
yllättävän
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Finnish:
yllättävästi
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Finnish:
ihme kyllä
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Finnish:
ihmeesti
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
French:
étonnamment
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Galician:
sorprendentemente
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Georgian:
გასაოცრად
(gasaocrad)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Georgian:
მოულოდნელად
(moulodnelad)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
German:
überraschend
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
German:
überraschenderweise
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
German:
erstaunlicherweise
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Greek:
εκπληκτικά
(ekpliktiká)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Hungarian:
meglepően
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Hungarian:
meghökkentően
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Ido:
astonante
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Ido:
surprizante
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Indonesian:
kejutan
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Irish:
go diail
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Italian:
sorprendentemente
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Italian:
a sorpresa
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Japanese:
驚くほど
(odorokuhodo)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Japanese:
意外に
(igai ni)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Japanese:
なんと
(nanto)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Japanese:
思いの外
(omoi no hoka)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Kazakh:
ғаламат
(ğalamat)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Korean:
뜻밖에
(tteutbakke)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Korean:
놀랍게도
(nollapgedo)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Latvian:
pārsteidzoši
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Lithuanian:
stebėtinai
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Macedonian:
изненадно
(iznenadno)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Macedonian:
за чудо
(za čudo)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Middle English:
straungely
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Norwegian Bokmål:
overraskende
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Norwegian Bokmål:
forbausende
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Norwegian Nynorsk:
overraskande
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Norwegian Nynorsk:
forbausande
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Polish:
zaskakująco
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Polish:
zadziwiająco
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Portuguese:
surpreendentemente
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Romanian:
surprinzător
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Romansh:
surprendentamain
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Russian:
необыча́йно
(neobyčájno)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Russian:
удиви́тельно
(udivítelʹno)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Serbo-Croatian:
за̀чудо
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Serbo-Croatian:
zàčudo
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Slovak:
prekvapivo
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Slovak:
prekvapujúco
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Slovene:
nepričakovano
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Slovene:
presenetljivo
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Spanish:
sorprendentemente
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Spanish:
sorpresivamente
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Spanish:
fulminantemente
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Swedish:
överraskande
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Tagalog:
pagkakamangha
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Thai:
อย่างแปลกใจ
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Turkish:
şaşırtıcı bir şekilde
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Turkish:
şaşırtıcı biçimde
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Ukrainian:
навдивови́жу
(navdyvovýžu)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Ukrainian:
напро́чуд
(napróčud)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Ukrainian:
ди́вно
(dývno)
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual
Vietnamese:
không ngờ
— in a way that causes surprise because it is unexpected, or unusual