unexpected
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See sudden.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unexpected
Explanation
Use the adjective unexpected to describe something that takes you by surprise. An unexpected knock on your front door might make you jump. When you don't anticipate something, and have no clue that it's coming, you can call it unexpected. A successful surprise party is always unexpected, and an unexpected visitor can be exciting or inconvenient, depending on who it is. If you expect an event, you know it's going to occur, but if it's unexpected, it seems to come from nowhere. The Latin root is expectare, "await, look out for, desire, or hope."
Vocabulary lists containing unexpected
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for April 22–April 28, 2023
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Week 5: Scientific Viewpoints
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Strange
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One of the study's most unexpected findings involved oleic acid, the primary fatty acid found in olive oil.
From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026
Diller has made a career of unexpected wagers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Bilton was named to replace Tanya Simon on Thursday, an unexpected move that also came with the firings of correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
On paper, Joshua should dispatch Prenga comfortably - yet heavyweight boxing has a habit of producing the unexpected.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
I guess life can be unexpected at times.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
