- take aback
- verbsurprise greatly; knock someone's socks off (Freq. 1)-
I was floored when I heard that I was promoted
• Syn: ↑shock, ↑floor, ↑ball over, ↑blow out of the water• Hypernyms: ↑surprise• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s somebody
-Something ——s somebody
-The bad news will take aback him
-The good news will take aback her
-The performance is likely to take aback Sue
* * *
take aback [phrasal verb]— usually used as (be) taken abackWhen I told him my answer, he seemed taken aback. [=shocked]
— often + byHe was taken aback by her answer.
• • •Main Entry: ↑take
Useful english dictionary. 2012.