# aback

/əˈbæk/ (US) · /ɐbˈæk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/aback
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Senses

### 1. surprised or shocked

adverb · CEFR B2

surprised or shocked by something unexpected.

For teachers: startled or disconcerted by a sudden development; almost exclusively used in the passive construction 'to be taken aback'.

- I was taken aback by how much the city had changed since my last visit.
- The CEO was visibly taken aback by the shareholders' blunt refusal to approve the proposed merger during the annual meeting.

Teaching tip: Learners should treat 'taken aback' as a single lexical unit rather than trying to use 'aback' on its own.

### 2. sails pressed backwards

adverb · CEFR C2 · Technical

when the wind blows against the front of a ship's sails, pushing them back against the mast.

For teachers: the state of a ship's square sails when pressed against the mast by a headwind. Used as a predicative adverb.

- The ship was caught aback by a sudden change in the wind's direction.
- The vessel was laid aback to reduce its headway, allowing the crew to safely lower the lifeboats into the swelling sea.

Teaching tip: This is the original nautical source of the common idiom; it is rarely encountered outside of maritime history or technical sailing manuals.

## Examples

- I was taken aback by his sudden anger.
- The manager was taken aback when her most reliable employee handed in his resignation without warning.
- Even the most seasoned diplomats were taken aback by the prime minister's blunt refusal to sign the treaty, as they had expected a more conciliatory tone.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The news took me aback." but "I was taken aback by the news." — While 'take someone aback' is grammatically possible, the passive form 'be taken aback' is the standard idiomatic usage.

## Usage notes

- Almost always follows the verb 'to be' and the past participle 'taken'.

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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.