aback

[ uh-bak ]

adverb

1. toward the back.
2. Nautical. so that the wind presses against the forward side of the sail or sails.

adjective

, Nautical.

1. (of a sail) positioned so that the wind presses against the forward side.
2. (of a yard) positioned so that its sail is laid aback.

aback

/ əˈbæk /

adverb

1. taken aback
   1. startled or disconcerted
   2. nautical (of a vessel or sail) having the wind against the forward side so as to prevent forward motion
2. rare.
   towards the back; backwards

Word History and Origins

Origin of aback¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English abak, Old English on bæc “to the rear”; a- ¹, on, back ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of aback¹

Old English on bæc to the back

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. taken aback, surprised and disconcerted:

   I was taken aback by his harsh criticism.

More idioms and phrases containing aback

see take aback .

Example Sentences

Nelson Dean from London was also taken aback by the high cost of formula.

From BBC

“I didn’t start drinking, but I was scared and completely taken aback by people’s reactions. I was dismayed by the fact that for as long as I resemble whoever, whatever I resemble, people are gonna look at me like I’m a zoo animal. And lots of people are going to be nice to me, even if they’re not nice people, and I will never know. And that hits you hard, especially if you’re really young and still searching for what is normal.”

From Los Angeles Times

So when he learned that City Council candidate Ysabel Jurado had said “F— the police, that’s how I see ‘em” at a college meet-and-greet, he was taken aback.

From Los Angeles Times

But when one man from Cardiff combined his love for Lego with his interests in architecture and even sport, he was taken aback to be met with widespread interest in his hobby.

From BBC

“Growing up, when I watched my grandma teaching ice skating and teaching humans how to perform, I was always so taken aback by how she looked at the body and balance and the little technical things that allowed people to perform better that a normal person would maybe not see,” he said, sitting under an umbrella on the concourse at Dignity Health Sports Park last week after a morning training session.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• surprised