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REFERENCE

surprisingly

adv. sent.
B1 Intermediate US //səˈpɹaɪzɪŋɫi// UK //səpɹˈaɪzɪŋli// sur·pris·ing·ly
Definition

adv. used to say that something is unexpected or different from what you thought. You use it to show that a fact is a bit of a shock.

adv. in a manner that causes astonishment or wonder because it is unexpected. Often functions as a disjunct to express the speaker's attitude toward the following statement.


SIMPLE

The exam was surprisingly easy.

CONTEXTUAL

Surprisingly, the small restaurant was completely full on a Tuesday night.

COMPLEX

The results of the study were surprisingly consistent across different age groups, despite the researchers' initial hypothesis that older participants would respond more conservatively.

Origin

From surprising + -ly.

Usage

When modifying an entire sentence, it usually appears at the beginning followed by a comma; otherwise, it sits immediately before the adjective or adverb it modifies.

Pitfall

It was a surprisingly movie.It was a surprisingly good movie.As an adverb, it must modify an adjective, verb, or another adverb, rather than a noun directly.

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