surprisingly enough
3
4.4
- idiom
:
sorprendentemente
- Surprisingly enough, my body also provided the initial one.
Then I got an eyelash curler because surprisingly enough I do not have an eyelash curler in my collection.
- Then I got an eyelash curler because surprisingly enough I do not have an eyelash curler in my collection.
Examples
-
Few teams bring more pressure than the Texans, but surprisingly enough, Jags quarterback Blaine Gabbert isn't too bad when he's facing it.
Blog text (8) -
One of the first groups that really joined, surprisingly enough, was the English department.
Blog text (16) -
And, surprisingly enough, men were some of those with the most negative feelings.
Blog text (8) -
Two weeks in and I'm feeling better already, have more energy, sleep better, and eat less, surprisingly enough, while staying full for longer.
Blog text (10) -
His influence has been traced in writers on every continent except, surprisingly enough, Africa.
Academic text (1993) -
Surprisingly enough, not everyone wants to be a millionaire.
Fiction book (1992) -
The debate was triggered, surprisingly enough, by a small box in the International Monetary Fund's annual publication, World Economic Outlook.
Blog text (3) -
Surprisingly enough, it was not only entertaining, but it raised some very provocative questions that have stayed with me all week.
Blog text (4) -
The mails were in their usual winter holdup, but surprisingly enough, Jackie received three letters on the same day.
Fiction book (1996)
Synonyms
272
2.5
In a way that people do not expect
190
3.2
In an unusual or unexpected way
184
3.5
To a very unusual or surprising degree
172
2.8
In a way that is very surprising and hard to believe
150
3.4
In a strange or unexpected way
122
2.3
In a way that causes surprise or wonder
107
3.7
In a way that is very surprising or seems impossible
106
3.3
More than normal or expected
99
2.3
Happening without any warning
38
4.8
In a way that surprises or upsets people a lot
21
4.0
In a way that makes people very surprised
10
5.3
To a much higher level than usual
8
5.6
In a way that makes people feel very surprised
6
4.3
Making people feel very surprised
1
8.4
In a way that is very surprising and hard to understand
In a way people do not expect
How Surprising
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to a sufficiently surprising degree / it is surprising that …' is directly derivable from combining 'surprisingly' (in an unexpected way) with 'enough' (to a sufficient degree). This compositional degree-modifying pattern is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Surprisingly enough puts together surprisingly ('unexpected') and enough ('to the point that you notice it'), creating the image of something that was unexpected in a clear, noticeable way. That's why we use surprisingly enough to say that something was more unexpected than we thought.