surprisingly

Everyday

1. In a way that is surprising or not expected. tree →
2. Used to say that a fact is not what people would expect: «surprisingly, it was free». tree →

In the lessons

In stories and reports it signals a twist: «surprisingly, the smallest dog won». In science it marks a result that went against the prediction. In everyday life: «it was surprisingly easy». In maths it may warn that the answer is not what it seems. Phrases: «surprisingly well», «surprisingly easy», «not surprisingly», «surprisingly enough».

Examples

• The test was surprisingly easy. tree →
• Surprisingly, the tortoise won the race. tree →
• The little girl was surprisingly strong. tree →
• Not surprisingly, everyone was tired after the long trip. tree →
• The heavy box floated surprisingly well. tree →
• Surprisingly, the cheaper toy lasted longer. tree →
• The water was surprisingly warm. tree →

Note

Spelling: «sur-prise» with an «r» after «u» (not «suprisingly»). «Not surprisingly» means the opposite: «as expected». It often comes at the start of a sentence followed by a comma.