surprisingly

adverb

sur·​pris·​ing·​ly sər-ˈprī-ziŋ-lē How to pronounce surprisingly (audio)
sə-
Synonyms of surprisinglynext
1
: in a surprising manner : to a surprising degree
a surprisingly fast runner
2
: it is surprising that
surprisingly, voter turnout was high

Examples of surprisingly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One shopper appreciated the cushy insoles, while another called out how surprisingly soft the leather feels. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026 Keeping those lasers precisely tuned is one of the less glamorous, and surprisingly difficult parts of running a quantum computer. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 Whether your granny skirt is floral, lace, linen, or neatly pleated, the formula is surprisingly simple. — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026 Give the same model access to the same information and ask ten different professionals to solve the same problem, and the results will often look surprisingly similar. — Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprisingly

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surprisingly was in 1661

Rhymes for surprisingly

See All Rhymes for surprisingly

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Surprisingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surprisingly. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

surprisingly

adverb
sur·​pris·​ing·​ly -lē How to pronounce surprisingly (audio)
1
: in a surprising manner : to a surprising degree
a surprisingly fast runner
2
: it is surprising that
surprisingly, no one disagreed

More from Merriam-Webster on surprisingly

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for surprisingly

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