be taken aback
To be shocked or surprised by something unexpected, so that you are briefly unable to react.
be taken aback
To be shocked or surprised by something unexpected, so that you are briefly unable to react.
Learning Progress
Examples
"I was taken aback by how much my brother had changed after two years abroad."
"She was taken aback when the manager offered her the job on the spot."
Mnemonic Trick
Imagine a sudden gust of wind pushing you backward: surprise makes you "taken aback".
Cultural Context
The phrase comes from sailing, where a ship was "taken aback" when a sudden change in wind direction pushed the sails back against the mast. Today it is used in formal and semi-formal English to describe surprise, often with a hint of shock or disapproval.
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