taken aback

English

Etymology

From taken + aback, first attested in 1840.

Adjective

taken aback (comparative more taken aback, superlative most taken aback)

1. (figuratively) Surprised, shocked.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 8, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.

2. (nautical) Said of a ship, when the wind, suddenly changing, forces the sails aft against the mast.

Translations

surprised, shocked

• Bengali: চমকে ওঠা (comke ōṭha), হতচকিত হওয়া (hotcokito hōẇa)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 吃驚／吃惊 (hek³ ging¹)

• Dutch: onthutst (nl)
• Finnish: ällistynyt, järkyttynyt (fi)
• French: surpris (fr), décontenancé (fr), pris de court (fr)
• German: erschrocken (de)
• Gujarati: ચકિત (gu) (cakit)
• Haitian Creole: souke, sekwe
• Hindi: चकित (hi) (cakit)
• Icelandic: bregða (is), bregða við, vera brugðið, verða hvumsa, fara í mínus, fara alveg í mínus, koma á
• Italian: preso alla sprovvista
• Latin: stupefactus, attonitus, consternatus
• Marathi: चकित (cakit)
• Polish: zbity z tropu
• Turkish: şaşkın (tr)
• Vietnamese: sửng sốt (vi), ngạc nhiên (vi)

Verb

taken aback

1. past participle of take aback