| 释义 |
aback
a·back A0005400 (ə-băk′)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.aback (əˈbæk) adv1. startled or disconcerted2. (Nautical Terms) nautical (of a vessel or sail) having the wind against the forward side so as to prevent forward motion3. rare towards the back; backwards[Old English on bæc to the back]a•back (əˈbæk)
adv. 1. with the wind against the forward side of the sail. 2. toward the back. Idioms: take aback, to surprise; disconcert. [before 1000; Middle English; Old English on bæc to the rear. See a-1, on, back1] aback - Originated in sailing, as a ship was taken aback when a strong gust of wind suddenly blew the sails back against the mast, causing the ship to stop momentarily.See also related terms for sailing.abackWhen the wind blows on the wrong side of the sail, preventing forward motion.Thesaurus| Adv. | 1. |  aback - having the wind against the forward side of the sails; "the ship came up into the wind with all yards aback" | | 2. | aback - by surprise; "taken aback by the caustic remarks" |
aback adverbtake someone aback surprise, throw, shock, stun, confuse, astonish, stagger, startle, bewilder, astound, disconcert, bowl over (informal), stupefy, floor (informal), knock for six, dumbfound, leave open-mouthed, nonplus, flabbergast (informal) He was taken aback when a man answered the phone.abackadverbWithout adequate preparation:short, unawarely, unawares.Idiom: by surprise.Translationsaback (əˈbӕk) : taken aback surprised and usually rather upset. She was taken aback by his rudeness. (因不悅)大吃一驚 吃惊，吓一跳 aback
be set abackTo be startled, astonished, shocked, or disconcerted. (A less common variant of "be taken aback.") All of us were a bit set aback to learn that John was moving to England next month. I must admit that I was set aback when I heard we weren't receiving our bonuses this year.See also: aback, setset (someone) abackTo startle, astonish, shock, or disconcert someone. (A less common variant of "take someone aback.") It set us all aback a bit to learn that John was moving to England next month. I'm sure the news sets everyone aback, but please believe me that this is in the best interest of the company.See also: aback, settake (one) abackTo startle, astonish, shock, or disconcert one. It took us all aback a bit to learn that John was moving to England next month. I'm sure the news of the merger takes everyone aback, but please believe me that this is in the best interest of the company.See also: aback, taketaken abackStartled, astonished, shocked, or disconcerted. All of us were a bit taken aback to learn that John was moving to England next month. I must admit that I was taken aback when I heard we weren't receiving our bonuses this year.See also: aback, takentaken abackCliché surprised and confused. When Mary told me the news, I was taken aback for a moment. When I told my parents I was married, they were completely taken aback.See also: aback, takentake abackSurprise, shock, as in He was taken aback by her caustic remark. This idiom comes from nautical terminology of the mid-1700s, when be taken aback referred to the stalling of a ship caused by a wind shift that made the sails lay back against the masts. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1829. See also: aback, taketake someone aback shock, surprise, or disconcert someone. The phrase is frequently used in the passive form (be taken aback ): this was adopted in the mid 19th century from earlier (mid 18th-century) nautical terminology, to describe the situation of a ship with its sails pressed back against the mast by a headwind, preventing forward movement. 1991 Kathleen Jones Learning Not To Be First They were taken aback by the shabbiness of the hotel and lack of cleanliness in the city generally. See also: aback, someone, takebe taken aˈback (by somebody/something) be shocked or surprised by somebody/something: She was completely taken aback by his anger.See also: aback, takentake aback, toTo surprise or discomfit. This term originally was nautical, describing sails that press against the mast and therefore suddenly impede a vessel’s progress. It was used figuratively from the early nineteenth century on. Dickens used it in his American Notes (1842): “I don’t think I was ever so taken aback in all my life.” It is heard less often today but has not died out.See also: takeaback
Related to aback: taken abackSynonyms for abackphrase take someone abackSynonyms- surprise
- throw
- shock
- stun
- confuse
- astonish
- stagger
- startle
- bewilder
- astound
- disconcert
- bowl over
- stupefy
- floor
- knock for six
- dumbfound
- leave open-mouthed
- nonplus
- flabbergast
Synonyms for abackadv without adequate preparationSynonyms |