ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ambushed

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈæmˌbʊʃt// UK //ˈæmbʊʃt// am·bushed

adj. feeling surprised and trapped because someone attacked or spoke to you when you did not expect it. You use this when you feel caught off guard by a person or a situation.

adj. surprised by a sudden attack or an unexpected confrontation. Often used as a participial adjective to describe a state of being caught off guard.


SIMPLE

The manager felt ambushed by the sudden questions.

CONTEXTUAL

The celebrity felt ambushed by the group of reporters waiting outside her private residence.

COMPLEX

Although he expected some pushback, the CEO felt completely ambushed when the board members presented a list of grievances he had never heard before.

Synonyms
Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'feel', 'seem', or 'look'.

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