surprisingly

[ ser-prahy-zing-lee, suh- ]

adverb

1. in a way that causes a feeling of wonder or astonishment:

   The artist creates works that are both approachable and surprisingly sophisticated.

2. in a way that is seen as unlikely or unexpected:

   Despite its geographic isolation and small population, Reykjavik is surprisingly cosmopolitan.

   The phone has an impressive array of features, and yet is surprisingly affordable.

Other Words From

• un·sur·pris·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of surprisingly¹

surprising ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Even if Liverpool surprisingly sold Alisson, who has 18 months left on his deal with the option for another year, Kelleher would likely remain second choice, this time to a younger goalkeeper.

From BBC

But because I’ve heard so many others talking about fighting back, I find myself surprisingly more in that spirit now.

From Salon

Rather surprisingly, the obligatory face-to-face between Tyson and Paul ended without any drama, but there was already enough of that in the hour and half that preceded it.

From BBC

Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison responded “This is straight up BS,” in a surprisingly gloves-off statement for a DNC chair who just presided over a very expensive loss.

From Slate

But so, in a surprisingly different way, did three more mainstream L.A. opera companies that recently presented a trio of mid-19th century operas.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• absolutely
• awfully
• certainly
• decidedly
• deeply
• eminently
• exceedingly
• excessively
• extraordinarily
• extremely
• greatly
• highly
• incredibly
• noticeably
• particularly
• pretty
• profoundly
• remarkably
• terribly
• truly