Cool MateBlown away vs Surprised
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Blown away
Top 2,000 (common)
Surprised
Top 1,000 (very common)A2adjective
Most common: Surprised
| Blown away | Surprised | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //bləʊn əˈweɪ//🇺🇸 //bloʊn əˈweɪ// | 🇬🇧 /["/səˈpraɪzd/"]/🇺🇸 /["/sərˈpraɪzd/"]/ |
| Meaning | Very impressed or amazed | Feeling shocked or taken aback by something unexpected. |
| Example | I was blown away by the stunning performance of the dancers. | I was surprised to see my friend at the party. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A2 |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | blown away by a performance, blown away by the scenery, blown away by the news | appear, be, feel, extremely, fairly, very, at, by |
| Antonyms | - | unimpressed, bored, predictable |
| Common mistakes | Using it in overly formal situations where a more serious phrase is appropriate., Confusing it with the literal meaning of something being physically blown away by the wind. | Confusing with 'surprise' as a verb., Using it inappropriately to describe a planned event., Incorrectly using 'surprised' as a noun. |
| Usage notes | Use 'blown away' in informal contexts to express strong admiration or surprise. It might not be suitable for formal writing or speeches. | Use 'surprised' when describing a reaction to unexpected events. It's appropriate in both casual and formal contexts, but in very formal writing, you might choose a synonym like 'taken aback'. |
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Frequently asked questions: Blown away vs Surprised
What's the difference between Blown away and Surprised?
Blown away: Very impressed or amazed Surprised: Feeling shocked or taken aback by something unexpected.
Which is more common: Blown away and Surprised?
Surprised is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Blown away: I was blown away by the stunning performance of the dancers. Surprised: I was surprised to see my friend at the party.
Can I use Blown away and Surprised interchangeably?
Not always. Blown away and Surprised are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.