surprisingly

adverb

sur·​pris·​ing·​ly sər-ˈprī-ziŋ-lē How to pronounce surprisingly (audio)
sə-
1
: in a surprising manner : to a surprising degree
a surprisingly fast runner
2
: it is surprising that
surprisingly, voter turnout was high

Examples of surprisingly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The movie, somewhat surprisingly, reveals a multi-racial Florida community raising children together, mostly in harmony, except for the one single white woman who keeps calling the cops. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025 The house is surprisingly simple to set up. Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Oct. 2025 These screenings have a core audience and can do surprisingly well at the box office. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025 His defense at points in his Dodgers career has been surprisingly strong. Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for surprisingly

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surprisingly was in 1661

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Cite this Entry

“Surprisingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surprisingly. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

surprisingly

adverb
sur·​pris·​ing·​ly -lē How to pronounce surprisingly (audio)
1
: in a surprising manner : to a surprising degree
a surprisingly fast runner
2
: it is surprising that
surprisingly, no one disagreed

More from Merriam-Webster on surprisingly

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