WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•ex•pect•ed /ˌʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- not expected;
unforeseen.
un•ex•pect•ed
(un′ik spek′tid),USA pronunciation adj.
un′ex•pect′ed•ly, adv.
un′ex•pect′ed•ness, n.
- not expected;
unforeseen;
surprising:an unexpected pleasure; an unexpected development.
- un-1 + expect + -ed2 1580–90
un′ex•pect′ed•ness, n.
- unanticipated. See sudden.
'unexpectedly' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
accidental
- adventitious
- balk
- balky
- blue
- boomerang
- bump into
- come upon
- crop up
- dark horse
- encounter
- fall on
- godsend
- hit on
- leap
- light
- overtake
- pop off
- rencounter
- run across
- run into
- short
- show
- slip
- smack
- spring
- strike
- sudden
- suddenly
- surprise
- take
- throw
- trumps
- unawares
- up
- upset
- velvet
- waylay
- accident
- à l'improviste
- ambush
- blow
- bob
- chance
- come
- complication
- crop
- disaster
- emergent
- fly