unexpectedly

/ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/ (ame, ipa) · /"lē, -li/ (ame, mw)

unexpectedly — adverb

1. if something happens unexpectedly, you did not think it would happen and you are

1.副詞B1
釋義

if something happens unexpectedly, you did not think it would happen and you are surprised by it

例句

Heavy rain fell unexpectedly during the outdoor wedding ceremony.

end-position: adverb after verb

Unexpectedly, Quan received a job offer from a company he had applied to months earlier.

front-position: adverb at sentence start for emphasis

同義詞
  • surprisingly

    more neutral in tone; can be used for events that are merely striking rather than unforeseen

  • abruptly

    emphasises sudden and often unpleasant change, whereas unexpectedly focuses on the surprise element

  • out of the blue

    informal idiom meaning 'completely without warning' — stronger than unexpectedly in suggesting total surprise

反義詞
  • predictably

    the opposite idea — happening in a way that is expected or foreseen

  • as expected

    adverbial phrase used when events match predictions

文法句型

unexpectedly + verb

Unexpectedly, + clause

unexpectedly + adjective

用法筆記

Unexpectedly can appear in three positions in a sentence — at the beginning (modifying the whole clause), before the main verb (mid-position), or at the end — without changing the core meaning, though front-position adds the strongest emphasis.

常見錯誤

❌The bus suddenly arrived ten minutes early.' (when meaning you did not expect it)
✅The bus unexpectedly arrived ten minutes early.
💡'suddenly' focuses on speed or abruptness; 'unexpectedly' focuses on the lack of expectation.