adverb · rare

aback

против ветра

wieder da, zurück

By surprise; startled; dumbfoundedBy surprise; startled; dumbfounded. (see usage)

ⓘ

/əˈbæk/

» I was quite taken aback by their bad manners.

Meaning

4 senses

(not comparable)By surprise; startled; dumbfounded. (see usage)
by surprise
(not comparable)Backward against the mast; said of the sails when pressed by the wind from the "wrong" (forward) side, or of a ship when its sails are set that way.
про́тив ве́траprótiv vétra
having the wind against the forward side of the sails
(Geordie, archaic, not comparable)Towards the back or rear; backwards.
rückwärts
наза́дnazád
наза́дnazád
(archaic, not comparable)In the rear; a distance behind.
hinten
сза́диszádi, позади́pozadí
поза́дуpozádu, зза́дуzzádu

Examples

51 sentences

I was quite taken aback by their bad manners.
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I was a little taken aback.
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Tom was taken aback.
ruТом был ошеломлен.
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I was taken aback.
ruЯ опешил.
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You seemed taken aback.
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Translations

9 languages

Українська

By meaning 2

backwards:

in the rear:

Русский

By meaning 3

backwards:

in the rear:

said of sails pressed backward:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

backwards:

in the rear:

Origin

From Middle English abak, from Old English onbæc, equivalent to a- (“towards”) + back. Com

From Middle English abak, from Old English onbæc, equivalent to a- (“towards”) + back. Compare West Frisian tebek (“aback”, adverb, literally “to/at back”), Swedish tillbaka (idem.).

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