Phrase guide

take aback

verb · 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˌteɪk əˈbæk/
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: [ˌtheɪ̯.k‿əˈbæk]
  • Australian: /ˌtæɪk əˈbæk/
  • Australian: [ˌthæɪ̯.k‿əˈbæk]
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To surprise or shock; to discomfit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

Examples

  • I was rather taken aback by his angry reply.
  • The bad news took us aback.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: passive, usually

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I was floored when I heard that I was promoted

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shock, floor, ball over, blow out of the water

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: surprise

Narrower terms: startle, galvanize, galvanise

History

Etymology

From take + aback, see the two entries for their respective etymology.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: изнена́двам (iznenádvam) — to surprise or shock
  • Bulgarian: изнена́дам (iznenádam) — to surprise or shock
  • Bulgarian: изде́бвам (izdébvam) — to surprise or shock
  • Bulgarian: изде́бна (izdébna) — to surprise or shock
  • Bulgarian: шашарди́свам (šašardísvam) — to surprise or shock
  • Bulgarian: шашарди́сам (šašardísam) — to surprise or shock
  • Czech: překvapit — to surprise or shock
  • Esperanto: konsterni — to surprise or shock
  • Finnish: ällistyttää — to surprise or shock
  • Finnish: järkyttää — to surprise or shock
  • German: überraschen — to surprise or shock
  • Greek: ξαφνιάζω (xafniázo) — to surprise or shock
  • Haitian Creole: souke — to surprise or shock
  • Irish: bain siar as — to surprise or shock
  • Italian: cogliere di sorpresa — to surprise or shock
  • Italian: prendere alla sprovvista — to surprise or shock
  • Polish: zbić z tropu — to surprise or shock
  • Portuguese: assustar — to surprise or shock
  • Portuguese: surpreender — to surprise or shock
  • Russian: ошеломля́ть (ošelomljátʹ) — to surprise or shock
  • Russian: ошеломи́ть (ošelomítʹ) — to surprise or shock
  • Russian: захва́тывать враспло́х (zaxvátyvatʹ vrasplóx) — to surprise or shock
  • Russian: заста́ть враспло́х (zastátʹ vrasplóx) — to surprise or shock
  • Scottish Gaelic: cuir iongnadh air — to surprise or shock
  • Serbo-Croatian: iznenaditi — to surprise or shock
  • Serbo-Croatian: osupnuti — to surprise or shock
  • Serbo-Croatian: zapanjiti — to surprise or shock
  • Serbo-Croatian: preneraziti — to surprise or shock
  • Spanish: agarrar en curva — to surprise or shock
  • Spanish: sorprender — to surprise or shock
  • Spanish: pasmar — to surprise or shock
  • Spanish: asombrar — to surprise or shock
  • Spanish: dejar pasmado — to surprise or shock
  • Spanish: dejar estupefacto — to surprise or shock
  • Spanish: agarrar de sorpresa — to surprise or shock
  • Spanish: desconcertar — to surprise or shock
  • Finnish: joutua vastatuuleen — to catch with sails aback
  • Māori: pūawhe — to catch with sails aback