not remotely surprised

USAGE SUMMARY

"not remotely surprised" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to express that you are completely unsurprised by something, often in a context where the outcome was expected. Example: "When he announced his resignation, I was not remotely surprised." Alternative expressions include "not at all surprised" and "not the least bit surprised."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

I'm not remotely surprised.

The Guardian - Arts

Though slightly startled by her own trajectory, Black is not remotely surprised by the SNP surge.

The Guardian

I'm not remotely surprised to learn that his dad showed him how to make cheese as a boy.

The Guardian - Travel

We were not remotely surprised that our wit and originality and general fantasticness over the week had caused such a spontaneous show of love and affection.

The Guardian - Travel

Simon Bass from the Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service said: "We are not remotely surprised that the Metropolitan police alone has already received 27 referrals of this type this year – or three a month.

The Guardian

Peering at me, he enquires casually: "They don't applaud at the end of a film in the cinema very often these days, do they?" Happy to confirm they do not, I'm nonetheless not remotely surprised to hear that they did for Ethel & Ernest.

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

The saddest thing was that Danny wasn't remotely surprised that they had betrayed him.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

It also meant that when I awoke last Friday to the result of the EU referendum, I wasn't remotely surprised.

The Guardian - Opinion

"After I came out," she goes on, composing herself, "the funny thing is that all the heterosexual men I knew weren't remotely surprised – whereas all the gay men I told in parliament were totally gobsmacked".

The Guardian

"It won't remotely surprise you to know that he has not drained the swamp even one little bit," Oliver said before listing some of the industry insiders who've joined the Trump administration. .

Huffington Post

Dre's mother and father were angered but not even remotely surprised by the events that unfolded on the show (a jury decided to not indict a cop who'd killed an unarmed black teenager; protests and riots followed).

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

This phrase is particularly effective in journalistic or editorial writing where you want to highlight that a specific outcome was inevitable based on previous facts.

Common error

Avoid combining this phrase with other negative adjectives like "not remotely unsurprised", which creates a confusing double negative that logically means you were surprised. Stick to using "surprised" as the base adjective.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not remotely surprised" functions as a complex adjective phrase used to describe a subject's state of mind. It consists of the negative particle "not", the adverb "remotely" (acting as an intensifier) and the past participle adjective "surprised". According to Ludwig, this structure is a classic way to express a total absence of astonishment.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Social Media

5%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "not remotely surprised" is a highly effective, grammatically correct and common English expression used to denote total predictability. Ludwig AI shows a consistent pattern of usage across top-tier journalistic sources, confirming its status as a reliable idiom for both formal and semi-formal contexts. It is more emphatic than simpler alternatives and serves to underscore that a particular result was the only logical outcome. While perfectly acceptable in professional writing, users should be mindful of its strong tone, which can occasionally border on the cynical. Overall, it remains a powerful tool for emphasizing certainty in the face of expected events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not the least bit surprised

Uses a different idiomatic quantifier to express the same total lack of surprise

not at all surprised

A simpler and more direct alternative with identical meaning

not in the least surprised

A slightly more formal construction of the same sentiment

entirely unsurprised

Switches to an adjective form for a more compact structural variation

not one bit surprised

A common colloquial variation that maintains the strong negation

completely expected

Replaces the reaction (surprised) with the classification of the event (expected)

fully expected

Focuses on the anticipation of the event rather than the lack of surprise

hardly surprised

Slightly less emphatic, suggesting only a tiny margin of possible surprise

scarcely surprised

A more literary or formal way to deny feeling surprised

not exactly shocked

Uses irony and understatement to imply the outcome was predictable

FAQs

How do I use "not remotely surprised" in a sentence?

You can use it to react to an event that was predictable, such as: "Given his history of tardiness, I was "not remotely surprised" when he arrived late again."

Is it correct to say "not even remotely surprised"?

Yes, adding "even" further intensifies the phrase, though "not remotely surprised" is already quite strong on its own.

What is a more formal synonym for "not remotely surprised"?

In formal writing, you might prefer "entirely unsurprised" or "fully expected" to convey the same meaning.

Can "not remotely surprised" be used in business emails?

While grammatically correct, it can sound a bit blunt or cynical. If you want to remain professional but less pointed, try "was not unexpected".