unexpectedly fast

USAGE SUMMARY

"unexpectedly fast" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing something that is moving or occurring at a speed that is faster than expected or anticipated. For example: "The results of the election were announced unexpectedly fast."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

HOLLISTER: Well, continuing and executive education was up 12percentt, which was unexpectedly fast growth.

Harvard University

His unexpectedly fast return to the sport also brought a reassessment of his life.

The New York Times - Sports

They came roaring back unexpectedly fast after the Asian crisis of the late 1990s.

The Economist

Arctic sea ice, for instance, is melting unexpectedly fast, at 9% a decade.

The Economist

Unexpectedly fast productivity growth would quickly, and dramatically, improve the revenue forecasts.

The Economist

Now, with demand rising unexpectedly fast, the state is critically short of power.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

19 human-written examples

Unexpectedly, fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin level had no association with the TRIB3 Q84R polymorphism.

Diabetes Care

Later partnership entry in 'conservative' and 'liberal' regimes is an additional "regime" difference, offsetting the unexpectedly faster first entry to parenthood among employed partnered women and men especially in Germany.

Princeton University

It has been observed that the indiscriminate dumping of wastes into the landfill is resulting in unexpectedly faster filling up of the city's sanitary landfill which would, thus, likely be abandoned in the near future than anticipated 30 years (Beneberu et al. 2012).

Environmental Systems Research

Unexpectedly, fasting during CI further reduced lipolysis in visceral AT.

Critical Care

In the second case, an interaction between age and genotype was suggested from plumage weight: its growth, especially in male chicks, appears to be temporarily and unexpectedly faster from 4 to 6 weeks of age for the K/ k+ and K/ W genotypes.

Genetics, Selection, Evolution

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "unexpectedly fast", ensure the context clearly establishes what was initially expected or predicted to provide a contrast that emphasizes the unexpected acceleration.

Common error

Avoid assuming that an "unexpectedly fast" outcome is solely due to a single, obvious factor. Explore multiple contributing causes to provide a more nuanced explanation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "unexpectedly fast" functions as an adverbial modifier, specifically modifying adjectives or verbs to describe the manner in which something occurs. It indicates that an action or process happens with a speed that was not anticipated or predicted. Ludwig AI confirms the correctness and usability of the phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

51%

Science

38%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "unexpectedly fast" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that functions as an adverbial modifier, emphasizing the surprising and rapid pace of an event. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is correct. As shown by Ludwig's examples, it is prevalent in News & Media and Science contexts. When using the phrase, consider clearly establishing initial expectations and exploring multiple contributing causes. Alternatives like "surprisingly rapid" or "remarkably quick" offer similar meanings. Given its versatility, "unexpectedly fast" is a valuable addition to your writing toolkit.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

surprisingly rapid

Replaces "unexpectedly" with "surprisingly" while keeping the core meaning of quickness.

unforeseen acceleration

Focuses on the acceleration aspect, emphasizing its unpredicted nature.

remarkably quick

Substitutes "unexpectedly" with "remarkably", highlighting the unusual speed.

suddenly swift

Emphasizes the suddenness of the speed, adding a sense of immediacy.

astonishingly rapid

Highlights the surprising and impressive nature of the speed.

unanticipated pace

Replaces "fast" with "pace", focusing on the rate of movement or progress, and "unexpectedly" with "unanticipated".

surprisingly expeditious

Uses a more formal tone, replacing "fast" with "expeditious".

unpredicted swiftness

Focuses on the swiftness aspect and its unpredicted nature.

out-of-the-blue acceleration

Emphasizes the sudden and unexpected nature of the acceleration.

unforeseen rate

Focuses on the rate, emphasizing that it wasn't predicted.

FAQs

How can I use "unexpectedly fast" in a sentence?

You can use "unexpectedly fast" to describe any process, movement, or development that occurs more rapidly than anticipated. For example: "The company's growth was unexpectedly fast, surprising even its founders."

What are some alternatives to saying "unexpectedly fast"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "surprisingly rapid", "remarkably quick", or "unforeseen acceleration".

Is it redundant to use "unexpectedly fast"? Does "fast" already imply a lack of expectation?

While "fast" implies speed, "unexpectedly" adds emphasis to the surprise element. Using "unexpectedly fast" highlights that the speed was not just quick, but also unanticipated, making the phrase more impactful in certain contexts.

In what contexts is "unexpectedly fast" most appropriate?

The phrase "unexpectedly fast" is appropriate in contexts where you want to emphasize that something not only happened quickly but also caught people off guard, such as describing economic growth, scientific discoveries, or personal achievements.