unexpectedly
/ˌʌnɪkˈspɛktɪdli/adverb★Intermediate
general
in a manner that is surprising or not anticipated
She arrived unexpectedly and caught everyone off guard.
Her arrival was a surprise, and no one was prepared for it.
The results came in unexpectedly fast.
The results were delivered much sooner than expected.
💡
Often used to describe events or actions that happen without prior warning or anticipation.
Collocations
unexpectedly wellbetter than anticipatedunexpectedly earlyearlier than expectedunexpectedly latelater than expected
Synonyms
Antonyms
💡Pro Tip
Usage Tip
Use 'unexpectedly' to emphasize that something happened contrary to expectations.
📖Word Origin
From 'un-' (not) + 'expected' (anticipated) + '-ly' (adverb suffix).
📝Usage Notes
Commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to describe surprising occurrences or outcomes.
Word Breakdown
un-
not
prefixexpected
anticipated
root-ly
adverb suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary