aback

adv.

1. By surprise: He was taken aback by her caustic remarks.
2. Nautical. In such a way that the wind pushes against the forward side of a sail or sails.
3. Archaic. Back; backward.

adverb

Without adequate preparation: short, unawarely, unawares. Idioms: by surprise. See prepared/unprepared.

adv. (of a sail) pressed backward against the mast by a headwind.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The adverb has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: having the wind against the forward side of the sails

Meaning #2: by surprise

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Dansk (Danish)
adv. - baglæns, bagved, tilbage
adj. - stå i stampe, holde stille

idioms:

• taken aback    forbløffes, overraskes

Nederlands (Dutch)
terug, tegen de mast gedrukt (zeil)

Français (French)
adv. - tout décontenancé, d'un air interdit, à déconcerter
adj. - déconcerté, interdit, décontenancé

idioms:

• taken aback    être interloqué ou décontenancé, en rester tout interdit ou tout déconcerté

Deutsch (German)
adv. - rückwärts, (Seew.) gegen den Mast
adj. - nach hinten, zurück

idioms:

• taken aback    aus der Fassung, verwundert

Ελληνική (Greek)
adv. - (προς τα) πίσω, όπισθεν

idioms:

• taken aback    σαστισμένος, ξαφνιασμένος

Italiano (Italian)
dietro, di dietro, all'indietro

idioms:

• taken aback    sorpreso

Português (Portuguese)
adv. - oposto, inverso

idioms:

• taken aback    tomado de surpresa

Русский (Russian)
назад, сзади, задом

idioms:

• taken aback    пораженный, ошеломленный

Español (Spanish)
adv. - sorpresivamente, imprevistamente
adj. - hacia atrás, retrasado, de improviso, por sorpresa

idioms:

• taken aback    quedar sorprendido o estupefacto

Svenska (Swedish)
adv. - bakåt

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
向后地, 朝后地, 处于顶风位置的, 突然地

idioms:

• taken aback    震惊

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adv. - 向後地, 朝後地, 處於頂風位置的, 突然地
adj. - 處於頂風位置的

idioms:

• taken aback    震驚

한국어 (Korean)
adv. - 뒤로, 역풍을 받고
adj. - 뒤의, 역풍의

idioms:

• taken aback    깜짝 놀라다

日本語 (Japanese)
adv. - 裏帆に

idioms:

• taken aback    度肝を抜かれる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(ظرف) إلى الوراء, إلى الخلف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adv. - ‮מאחורי, אחורנית, לאחור (מיושן)‬
adj. - ‮לאחור, אחורנית‬

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