unexpectedly

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US/ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪdli/

adverb

In an unexpected manner.

“Near-synonyms: against expectations, against all odds, surprisingly”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 27

Meanings

adverbunexpectedly (comparative more unexpectedly, superlative most unexpectedly)

comparative more unexpectedly · superlative most unexpectedly

  1. In an unexpected manner.

    Near-synonyms: against expectations, against all odds, surprisingly

    4 more examples

    […] she was startled by unexpectedly meeting her husband, who was coming to seek her.

    1863, George Eliot, chapter XVI, in Romola, volume II, book II, page 186

    Other evidence of former ownerships such as notice-boards, number plates, and makers' plates, are often discovered unexpectedly.

    1952 February 28, H. C. Casserley, “Permanent Wayfarings”, in Railway Magazine, page 77

    The maw-worm could emerge unexpectedly from any orifice, including, most alarmingly, the corner of people's eyes.

    1999, Robert Lacey, Danny Danziger, The Year 1000: What life was like at the turn of The First Millennium, London: Abacus, published 2000, page 121

    Texas House Democrats’ historic quorum break unexpectedly ended Thursday evening when at least three new Democrats returned to the floor, paving the way for state Republicans to pass restrictive voting legislation.

    2021 August 19, Dianne Gallagher, “Texas Democrats’ effort to freeze voting bill ends”, in CNN

    Synonyms: against expectations, against all odds, surprisingly · Antonyms: expectedly

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn an unexpected manner.

Similar
against expectationsagainst all oddssurprisingly
Opposite

More synonyms by meaning

adverbin a way that was not expected

adverbwithout advance planning

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀδοκἠτως, ἀέλπτως
  • ἀδοκἠτως (adokētōs)in an unexpected manner
  • ἀέλπτως (aélptōs)in an unexpected manner
Bulgarian неочаквано
  • неочаквано (neočakvano)in an unexpected manner
Catalan inesperadament
  • inesperadamentin an unexpected manner
Chinese Cantonese 竟然, 居然
  • 竟然 (ging² jin⁴)in an unexpected manner
  • 居然in an unexpected manner
Chinese Mandarin 竟然, 出乎意料地
  • 竟然 (jìngrán)in an unexpected manner
  • 出乎意料地 (chūhūyìliàode)in an unexpected manner
Czech nečekaně
  • nečekaněin an unexpected manner
Danish uventet
  • uventetin an unexpected manner
Dutch onverwachts
  • onverwachtsin an unexpected manner
Esperanto neatendite
  • neatenditein an unexpected manner
Estonian ootamatult
  • ootamatultin an unexpected manner
Finnish yllättäen
  • yllättäenin an unexpected manner
French contre toute attente, de manière inattendue
  • contre toute attentein an unexpected manner
  • de manière inattenduein an unexpected manner
  • surprenammentin an unexpected manner
German unerwartet, unerwarteterweise
  • unerwartetin an unexpected manner
  • unerwarteterweisein an unexpected manner
Greek αναπάντεχα, απροσδόκητα
  • αναπάντεχα (anapántecha)in an unexpected manner
  • απροσδόκητα (aprosdókita)in an unexpected manner
Hindi अनायास
  • अनायास (anāyās)in an unexpected manner
Hungarian váratlanul
  • váratlanulin an unexpected manner
Irish gan choinne
  • gan choinnein an unexpected manner
Italian inaspettatamente
  • inaspettatamentein an unexpected manner
Japanese 思いがけなく, おもいがけず
  • 思いがけなく (omoigakenaku)in an unexpected manner
  • おもいがけず (omoigakezu)in an unexpected manner
Latin inexspectate
  • inexspectatein an unexpected manner
Norwegian Bokmål uventet
  • uventetin an unexpected manner
Polish nieoczekiwanie, niespodziewanie
  • nieoczekiwaniein an unexpected manner
  • niespodziewaniein an unexpected manner
  • niespodzianiein an unexpected manner
Portuguese inesperadamente
  • inesperadamentein an unexpected manner
Russian неожи́данно
  • неожи́данно (neožídanno)in an unexpected manner
Scottish Gaelic gun fhiosta
  • gun fhiostain an unexpected manner
Spanish inesperadamente, inopinadamente
  • inesperadamentein an unexpected manner
  • inopinadamentein an unexpected manner
Swedish oväntat, oförmodat
  • oväntatin an unexpected manner
  • oförmodatin an unexpected manner
Ukrainian несподі́вано, знена́цька
  • несподі́вано (nespodívano)in an unexpected manner
  • знена́цька (znenácʹka)in an unexpected manner
Cite this entry
APA

unexpectedly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unexpectedly

MLA

“unexpectedly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unexpectedly. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unexpectedly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unexpectedly.

Source: unexpectedly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.