take aback

verb

1. tr, adverb to astonish or disconcert

Idioms and Phrases

Surprise, shock, as in He was taken aback by her caustic remark . This idiom comes from nautical terminology of the mid-1700s, when be taken aback referred to the stalling of a ship caused by a wind shift that made the sails lay back against the masts. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1829.

Example Sentences

"It would almost be arrogant not to be taken aback by how successful it turned out to be," she says.

From BBC

Borisov artfully underplays the progression: He’s taken aback by her feral resistance, amused by her spirit, then really sees her.

From Los Angeles Times

But she said that firms had been taken aback by the lowering of the threshold for the payment of National Insurance, and that the pain was "really serious".

From BBC

As I walked back to my hotel on Saturday night, I was taken aback by the loud bark from the exhaust pipes of a Lamborghini cruising along Vang Vieng’s single main street.

From BBC

They were later sweetly and emotionally taken aback when announced as new female artist winners.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agitate
• alarm
• bewilder
• bother
• confound
• daunt
• disconcert
• discourage
• dishearten
• disillusion
• dispirit
• disquiet
• disturb
• dumbfound
• embarrass
• faze
• flummox
• fluster
• frighten
• horrify