# I'll be

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/ill-be
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Expressing surprise.

## Examples

- Well, I'll be! You actually finished the project early.
- When he saw his old friend walk into the room unexpectedly, he exclaimed, "Well, I'll be!"
- Upon discovering that the long-lost manuscript had been hidden in the attic all these years, the professor whispered, "Well, I'll be."

## Origin

Presumably formed through anapodoton as a shortened version of the phrase *I’ll be damned*. The latter part of the expression is omitted, leaving the consequence of the speaker's surprise understood rather than stated.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.