very surprisingly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "very surprisingly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize the unexpected nature of an event or situation. Example: "Very surprisingly, the team managed to win the championship against all odds."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

UPDATE: The recording is a hoax, not very surprisingly.

The New Yorker

_ UPDATE: The recording is a hoax, not very surprisingly.

The New Yorker

"Very surprisingly, when we looked at the data, we saw that twenty per cent of them had severe yips," he said.

The New Yorker

This would seem to imply, not very surprisingly, that although Stalin is long dead, his repressive spirit lives on in contemporary Russia.

The New York Times

At this table the first three actions were the same, but very surprisingly Adam Zmudzinski, West for the Alliance, passed over one spade.

The New York Times

They wait, between raids, in a Lincolnshire hotel: the men are, unsurprisingly, called out on a mission; relationships dissolve and, sometimes very surprisingly, don't.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

13 human-written examples

What most caught my eye was their Extreme 10000, a very-surprisingly small and light device for a charger that holds a massive 10,000 mAh (milli-ampere), enough to charge an iPhone six freaking times.

Huffington Post

It was close typologically to Greek, though the shapes of words were very, even surprisingly, different.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Asked if cases kept him awake at night, Phillips said: "Very often, surprisingly.

The Guardian

"For me it was very normal, surprisingly normal," Ms. Babkes said.

The New York Times

The picture is very nice, surprisingly nice for a sub-$400 TV.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "very surprisingly" to highlight an outcome or finding that directly contradicts previous assumptions or expectations. It's effective when you want to emphasize the unexpected nature of the information you're presenting.

Common error

Avoid starting too many sentences or paragraphs with "very surprisingly", as it can become repetitive and diminish the impact of the phrase. Vary your sentence structure and use synonyms like "quite unexpectedly" or "totally unexpectedly" for better flow.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "very surprisingly" functions as an adverbial modifier, adding emphasis to the unexpected nature of a statement. According to Ludwig, it is deemed correct and appropriate for emphasizing the surprise factor.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "very surprisingly" is a grammatically sound and frequently used adverbial phrase that effectively emphasizes the unexpected nature of a statement. As per Ludwig's analysis, it’s appropriate for both formal and informal contexts, with common usage in science and news reporting. While versatile, it's important to avoid overuse and consider synonyms like "quite unexpectedly" or "totally unexpectedly" for stylistic variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quite unexpectedly

Replaces "surprisingly" with "unexpectedly" and "very" with "quite", slightly altering the emphasis.

totally unexpectedly

Emphasizes the complete lack of anticipation.

completely out of the blue

Implies an event occurred without any warning.

in a most astonishing manner

Uses more formal language to convey surprise.

to everyone's astonishment

Highlights the collective surprise of a group.

much to my amazement

Personalizes the feeling of surprise.

in a stunning turn of events

Suggests a dramatic and unexpected change.

against all expectations

Indicates the outcome was contrary to what was predicted.

who would have thought

Rhetorical question expressing surprise and disbelief.

it's hard to believe

Emphasizes the difficulty in accepting the unexpected event.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "very surprisingly" in a sentence?

Use "very surprisingly" to introduce a statement that contrasts with common knowledge or previous assumptions. For example, "Very surprisingly, the underdog team won the championship."

What are some alternatives to "very surprisingly"?

You can use alternatives like "quite unexpectedly", "totally unexpectedly", or "completely out of the blue" depending on the context.

Is "very surprisingly" considered formal or informal language?

"Very surprisingly" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although in very formal writing, you might prefer a more sophisticated alternative like "in a most astonishing manner".

Can I use "surprisingly very" instead of "very surprisingly"?

While understandable, "surprisingly very" is less common and can sound awkward. "Very surprisingly" is the more idiomatic and widely accepted phrasing.