Meaning

2 senses

  1. (idiomatic, transitive)To surprise or shock; to discomfit.

    I was rather taken aback by his angry reply.

    The bad news took us aback.

    überraschen

    ошеломля́тьošelomljátʹ, ошеломи́тьošelomítʹ, захва́тывать враспло́хzaxvátyvatʹ vrasplóx

  2. (passive, usually)Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

More definitions
  • surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off

Examples

50 sentences

  1. I was quite taken aback by their bad manners.

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  2. I was a little taken aback.

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  3. Tom was taken aback.

    ruТом был ошеломлен.

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  4. I was taken aback.

    ruЯ опешил.

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  5. You seemed taken aback.

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Translations

6 languages
Русский
By meaning 1
to surprise or shock:
Deutsch
By meaning 1
to surprise or shock:

Origin

From take + aback, see the two entries for their respective etymology.

From take + aback, see the two entries for their respective etymology.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

takes aback, taking aback, took aback, taken aback
Base formtake aback · to take aback
3rd person singulartakes aback
Present participletaking aback
Past simpletook aback
Past participletaken aback

irregular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theytake aback
he, she, ittakes aback

Past simpleLesson

all personstook aback

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave taken aback
he, she, ithas taken aback

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill take aback

Synonyms

4 synonyms
Close in meaning

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
tainttajtakeA1takeawayB1takeoffB1takeout
take aback — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto