| 释义 |
take aback
take aback vb (tr, adverb) to astonish or disconcert Thesaurus| Verb | 1. take aback - surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off; "I was floored when I heard that I was promoted"ball over, blow out of the water, floor, shocksurprise - cause to be surprised; "The news really surprised me"galvanise, galvanize, startle - to stimulate to action ; "..startled him awake"; "galvanized into action" |
take abackverb surprise, stun, astonish, floor (informal), stagger, startle, bewilder, astound, disconcert, nonplus, flabbergast (informal) He was taken aback when a man answered the phone.Translationsabasourdirconsternerstupéfiertake aback
take (one) abackTo startle, astonish, shock, or disconcert one. It took us all aback a bit to learn that John was moving to England next month. I'm sure the news of the merger takes everyone aback, but please believe me that this is in the best interest of the company.See also: aback, taketake abackSurprise, shock, as in He was taken aback by her caustic remark. This idiom comes from nautical terminology of the mid-1700s, when be taken aback referred to the stalling of a ship caused by a wind shift that made the sails lay back against the masts. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1829. See also: aback, taketake aback, toTo surprise or discomfit. This term originally was nautical, describing sails that press against the mast and therefore suddenly impede a vessel’s progress. It was used figuratively from the early nineteenth century on. Dickens used it in his American Notes (1842): “I don’t think I was ever so taken aback in all my life.” It is heard less often today but has not died out.See also: taketake aback
Related to take aback: taken abackSynonyms for take abackverb surpriseSynonyms- surprise
- stun
- astonish
- floor
- stagger
- startle
- bewilder
- astound
- disconcert
- nonplus
- flabbergast
Synonyms for take abackverb surprise greatlySynonyms- ball over
- blow out of the water
- floor
- shock
Related Words- surprise
- galvanise
- galvanize
- startle
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