thrown
adj.adj. confused, surprised, or upset by something you did not expect. You feel this way when a sudden change or a tricky question makes you lose your focus.
adj. disconcerted, confused, or momentarily unable to respond due to an unexpected event or piece of information. Often follows a linking verb like 'feel' or 'be'.
I was a bit thrown by her sudden question.
The speaker was clearly thrown when the microphone stopped working in the middle of his presentation.
Even the most experienced negotiators can be thrown by a sudden shift in tone, as it forces them to abandon their prepared strategy and react instinctively.
From Middle English throwen, from Old English þrāwen, ġeþrāwen, from Proto-Germanic þrēanaz, from Proto-Germanic þrēaną. Doublet of thran. Morphologically throw + -n.
Typically functions as a predicative adjective following a linking verb; often paired with the preposition 'by'.