unsurprisingly

USAGE SUMMARY

The word “unsurprisingly” is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to something that is expected or unsurprising in a given situation. For example, “Unsurprisingly, the team with the most talent won the championship.”.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Perhaps unsurprisingly, my favourite item of my mum's was the plainest outfit she wore: a black crepe wraparound Ossie Clark dress.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The generation who grew up surrounded by acknowledgements that they had dignity, bravery and the capacity for greatness were, unsurprisingly, nifty voters - the first chance they got, they elected a government which promised to reward their sacrifices with a welfare state.

The Guardian

Hodgson and the Steve Borthwick returned to strengthen the side and, unsurprisingly, the game developed into an arm wrestle between the two packs with Hodgson and Stephen Myler exchanging a series of penalties.

The Guardian - Sport

Their accomplishments were even more impressive given that, just after the first leg, they had won an energy-sapping and unsurprisingly feisty Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee at Tynecastle.

The Guardian - Sport

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its lineage, OS was organised along strong principles of leaderlessness, horizontality and consensus.

The Guardian

Unsurprisingly this has not gone down well in all quarters, with Bournemouth being variously accused of cashing in, fleecing their fans and spoiling everyone's holiday fun, though chairman Eddie Mitchell is unrepentant.

The Guardian - Sport

Curiously, Pietersen was then offered a position on an advisory board for England's one-day side; unsurprisingly, that sweetener to the bitterest of pills was rejected.

The Guardian - Sport

The findings also suggest - unsurprisingly - that social media is increasingly popular and also changing consumers' behaviour, with 59% discovering the majority of news via social media.

The Guardian

Unsurprisingly, they're the dominant flavour in this korma, which I'm not particularly keen on because the more delicate notes of the spices and dairy get lost.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Amsterdam, for instance, is – perhaps unsurprisingly – a good place to be a on a bike.

The Guardian

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gillard, who has not been afraid to tackle rivals in the male-dominated political sphere head on, admits that her favourite character is Daenerys Targaryen.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "unsurprisingly" to smoothly introduce a statement that logically follows from the preceding information, enhancing the flow of your argument.

Common error

While "unsurprisingly" is acceptable in many contexts, avoid using it excessively in formal or academic writing. Consider stronger, more precise adverbs to convey your meaning.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "unsurprisingly" modifies a clause or sentence, indicating that the statement which follows is not unexpected. Ludwig AI validates this usage, confirming its place as a common and accepted grammatical element. It acts as a discourse marker, guiding the reader's interpretation.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

71%

Formal & Business

14%

Science

14%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "unsurprisingly" is a versatile adverb used to indicate that a statement or outcome is not unexpected, as validated by Ludwig AI. It functions as a discourse marker, guiding readers through logical connections. Appearing most frequently in news and media contexts, it maintains a generally neutral register, making it suitable for a broad range of writing styles. For alternative phrasings, consider options such as "predictably" or "as expected". Remember to use "unsurprisingly" to enhance the flow of your writing by smoothly introducing expected results.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

predictably

Focuses on the expectation of an outcome based on past events or patterns.

as expected

Directly states that the outcome aligned with prior expectations.

it's no surprise that

Emphasizes the lack of astonishment at a particular result.

hardly surprisingly

Highlights that something is not surprising, albeit with a slightly more formal tone.

not unexpectedly

Suggests that although the result might not be desired, it was still foreseeable.

as was to be expected

Formally conveys that an outcome was predictable and in line with expectations.

naturally

Implies that a result is a logical or inherent consequence of something.

of course

Indicates that something is self-evident or follows logically from previous information.

it stands to reason that

More formally suggests that a conclusion is logical and easily deduced.

in keeping with expectations

Highlights the conformity of an event with prior forecasts or hopes.

FAQs

How can I use "unsurprisingly" in a sentence?

"Unsurprisingly" is used to indicate that something is not unexpected. For instance, "Unsurprisingly the team lost after their star player was injured."

What are some alternatives to using "unsurprisingly"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "predictably", "as expected", or "naturally".

Is it correct to say "unsurprising" instead of "unsurprisingly"?

No, "unsurprising" is an adjective, while "unsurprisingly" is an adverb. You would use "unsurprising" to describe something (e.g., "the result was unsurprising"), and "unsurprisingly" to modify a verb or clause (e.g., "unsurprisingly, the result was as expected").

What's the difference between "unsurprisingly" and "surprisingly"?

"Unsurprisingly" indicates that something is not surprising and aligns with expectations, while "surprisingly" indicates the opposite – something unexpected happened.