Idioms are special phrases where the words together have a meaning different from what the individual words mean. Now, let’s talk about idioms about surprise. People use phrases when they’re shocked or don’t expect something.
Idioms for Surprise
- Out of the blue
Meaning: Unexpectedly
Example: “The news came out of the blue.”
- Bolt from the blue
Meaning: Sudden, unexpected
Example: “His resignation was a bolt from the blue.”
- Blindside
Meaning: Surprise unexpectedly
Example: “I was blindsided by the sudden change.”
- Leave agog
Meaning: Extremely surprised
Example: “The crowd was left agog by the performance.”
- Mind-boggling
Meaning: Overwhelmingly surprising
Example: “The twist in the story was mind-boggling.”
- Blow someone’s mind
Meaning: Amaze, astonish
Example: “The ending of the movie really blew my mind.”
- Staggering
Meaning: Astonishing
Example: “The amount of donations was staggering.”
- Throw into a tizzy
Meaning: Cause agitation
Example: “The delay threw her into a tizzy.”
- A wake-up call
Meaning: Unexpected event causing awareness
Example: “The accident was a wake-up call.”
- Knock over with a feather
Meaning: Easily surprise
Example: “You could have knocked me over with a feather.”
- Turn heads
Meaning: Attract attention
Example: “Her dress turned heads at the party.”
- Catch someone flat-footed
Meaning: Find unprepared
Example: “The test caught me flat-footed.”
- Catch someone off guard
Meaning: Surprise someone
Example: “The question caught her off guard.”
- Flabbergasted
Meaning: Greatly astonished
Example: “I was flabbergasted by his audacity.”
- Knock for six
Meaning: Completely surprise
Example: “The scandal knocked the company for six.”
- Stop someone cold
Meaning: Halt abruptly
Example: “The accusation stopped her cold.”
- Throw for a loss
Meaning: Confuse
Example: “His strange behavior threw me for a loss.”
- Shake someone up
Meaning: Disturb or upset
Example: “The incident really shook her up.”
- Stop someone in their tracks
Meaning: Halt suddenly
Example: “The sight stopped him in his tracks.”
- Take someone’s breath away
Meaning: Impress deeply
Example: “The scenery took my breath away.”
- Hit like a ton of bricks
Meaning: Impact heavily
Example: “The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.”
- Make one’s hair stand on end
Meaning: Terrify or shock
Example: “The story made my hair stand on end.”
- Throw for a loop
Meaning: Confuse, surprise
Example: “The news really threw me for a loop.”
- Boggle the mind
Meaning: Overwhelm with surprise
Example: “The complexity boggles the mind.”
- Leave open-mouthed
Meaning: Astonish
Example: “The magician left the audience open-mouthed.”
- Raise eyebrows
Meaning: Cause surprise
Example: “His decision raised a few eyebrows.”
- Jaw-dropping
Meaning: Astonishing
Example: “The view was jaw-dropping.”
- Leave someone speechless
Meaning: Astonish
Example: “The proposal left her speechless.”
- Sweep off someone’s feet
Meaning: Impress profoundly
Example: “He swept her off her feet with his charm.”
- Drop a bombshell
Meaning: Reveal shocking news
Example: “He dropped a bombshell during the meeting.”
- Eyes popped out
Meaning: Very surprised
Example: “Her eyes popped out at the news.”
- Knock the wind out of someone
Meaning: Shock or upset
Example: “The news knocked the wind out of her.”
- Gobsmacked
Meaning: Utterly astonished
Example: “She was gobsmacked by the surprise party.”
- Like a deer in headlights
Meaning: Surprised and immobile
Example: “He looked like a deer in headlights.”
- Take aback
Meaning: Surprised, shocked
Example: “I was taken aback by his honesty.”
- Make someone’s jaw drop
Meaning: Astonish
Example: “His audacity made her jaw drop.”
- Stop dead in one’s tracks
Meaning: Halt suddenly
Example: “He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her.”
- Throw a curveball
Meaning: Surprise with the unexpected
Example: “Life threw a curveball at him.”
- Bowled over
Meaning: Very surprised
Example: “I was bowled over by her kindness.”
- Double take
Meaning: Look in surprise
Example: “I did a double take when I saw the price.”
- Knock someone’s socks off
Meaning: Impress greatly
Example: “Her performance will knock your socks off.”
Must Try:
Idioms About Science
Idioms About Truth
Idioms About Waiting
