# taken aback

> English word · Adjective

## Definitions
1. Surprised, shocked.
2. Said of a ship, when the wind, suddenly changing, forces the sails aft against the mast.

## Etymology
From taken + aback, first attested in 1840.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/taken-aback