# thrown

/ˈθɹoʊn/ (US) · /θɹˈəʊn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/thrown
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. confused or surprised

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

feeling confused or surprised by something unexpected.

For teachers: perplexed or disconcerted by an unexpected event or statement.

- I was a bit thrown by her sudden question about my salary.
- The candidate appeared visibly thrown by the interviewer's aggressive line of questioning regarding her previous employment history.

### 3. launched or tossed

adjective · CEFR B2

describes something that has been moved through the air by hand.

For teachers: propelled through space by the force of a hand or a mechanical device.

- The thrown rock cracked the window of the empty house.
- The trajectory of a thrown object is determined by its initial velocity and the angle of release relative to the ground.

## Examples

- 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.

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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.