UNEXPECTED: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for UNEXPECTED?

Need another word that means the same as “unexpected”? Find 5 synonyms and 30 related words for “unexpected” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Unexpected” are: unforeseen, unanticipated, unpredicted, out of the blue, without warning

Unexpected as an Adjective

Definitions of "Unexpected" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “unexpected” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Not expected or regarded as likely to happen.
• Not expected or anticipated.

Synonyms of "Unexpected" as an adjective (5 Words)

out of the blue	No longer fashionable.
unanticipated	Not anticipated- H.W.Glidden. Unanticipated and disconcerting lines of development.
unforeseen	Not anticipated- H.W.Glidden. Our insurance package enables you to protect yourself and your dependants against unforeseen circumstances.
unpredicted	Without warning or announcement- M.A.D.Howe. The unpredicted change of weather.
without warning	Serving to warn.

Usage Examples of "Unexpected" as an adjective

• Unexpected news.
• Unexpected guests.
• He seemed to have a knack for saying the unexpected.
• His death was totally unexpected.

Associations of "Unexpected" (30 Words)

abrupt	Steep; precipitous. An abrupt canyon.
abruptly	Steeply; precipitously. The film ends rather abruptly.
accidental	Incidental; subsidiary. The location is accidental and contributes nothing to the poem.
accidentally	Of a minor or subordinate nature. They met accidentally.
amazingly	Very impressively or well. There are so many amazingly good clarets.
astonishing	So surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm. The dog was capable of astonishing tricks.
awesome	Extremely good; excellent. The awesome power of the atomic bomb.
casually	In a relaxed and informal way. I wouldn t introduce my family to people I was casually dating.
coincidence	The quality of occupying the same position or area in space. They met by coincidence.
curiously	With curiosity. The baby looked around curiously.
happen	Happen occur or be the case in the course of events or by chance Santayana. We just happened to meet Paul.
inadvertently	Without knowledge or intention. His name had been inadvertently omitted from the list.
incident	Liable to happen because of; resulting from. One person was stabbed in the incident.
incidentally	Introducing a different topic; in point of fact. Incidentally it was many months before the whole truth was discovered.
occur	(of a thought or idea) come into the mind of. Nothing occurred that seemed important.
overhear	Hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers. We overheard the conversation at the next table.
startling	Very surprising, astonishing, or remarkable. Startling news.
surprisingly	In a way that causes surprise; unexpectedly. Perhaps surprisingly all survived.
unanticipated	Not anticipated. Unanticipated and disconcerting lines of development.
unconsciously	Without awareness. Unconsciously she has spent her whole life looking for a man who could live up to the ideal of her father.
unexpectedly	In a way that was not expected or regarded as likely. Tourist chiefs reported unexpectedly high visitor numbers.
unforeseen	Not anticipated. Our insurance package enables you to protect yourself and your dependants against unforeseen circumstances.
unheralded	Without warning or announcement- M.A.D.Howe. He was unwilling to make an unheralded entrance.
unintended	Not deliberate. The unintended consequences of people s actions.
unintentional	Done or made or performed with purpose and intent. An unintentional pun.
unintentionally	Not on purpose. She hit him unintentionally.
untoward	Contrary to your interests or welfare. Untoward remarks.
unusually	In a way that is not habitual or common. The name is spelt unusually.
unwitting	Not done with purpose or intent. An unwitting accomplice.
windfall	A large amount of money that is won or received unexpectedly. Members are to get an average 520 cash windfall for voting yes to the merger.