Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

take aback

/ˌteɪk əˈbæk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.99 in modern English

Syllables: take aback
IPA: /ˌteɪk əˈbæk/

21

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To surprise or shock; to discomfit.

Transitive verb

verb

Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

Example Sentences

"I was rather taken aback by his angry reply."
"The bad news took us aback."
"I was, at first, a little taken aback and astounded at the bulk of the volume; but, I turned out early this morning, and with eager hope and expectation set doggedly to work in search of the promised consolation."
"I would rather board a hundred of the enemy's frigates, than steer my boat into a fleet of modest women, for a modest woman never fails to take me aback."
"Frank was taken aback when Lisa told him that she also needed forgiveness from him, for actions, for words, and for unspoken thoughts."
"In a way, he was taken aback by the absence of discouragement."

Etymology

From take + aback, see the two entries for their respective etymology.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌteɪk əˈbæk/
British English: /ˌteɪk əˈbæk/

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

takes aback (present, singular) taking aback (participle, present) took aback (past) taken aback (participle, past)

Synonyms

shock floor ball over blow out of the water

Questions

How do you pronounce take aback?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌteɪk əˈbæk/.
What does take aback mean?: To surprise or shock; to discomfit.
Where does take aback come from?: From take + aback, see the two entries for their respective etymology.

How to pronounce take aback

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “take aback”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌteɪk əˈbæk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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