Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Peter Mark Roget

expectation &c (disappointment) 509; miscalculation &c 481. surprise, sudden burst, thunderclap, blow, shock, start; bolt out of the blue; wonder &c 870; eye opener. unpleasant surprise, pleasant surprise. V. not expect &c 507; be taken by surprise; start; miscalculate &c 481; not bargain for; come upon, fall upon. be unexpected &c adj.; come unawares &c adv.; turn up, pop, drop from the clouds; come upon one, burst upon one, flash upon one, bounce upon one, steal upon one, creep upon one; come like a thunder clap, burst like a thunderclap, thunder bolt; take by surprise, catch by surprise, catch unawares, catch napping; yach [S. Afr.]. pounce upon, spring a mine upon. surprise, startle, take aback, electrify, stun, stagger, take away one's breath, throw off one's guard; astonish, dumbfound &c (strike with wonder) 870. Adj. nonexpectant†; surprised &c v.; unwarned, unaware; off one's guard; inattentive 458. unexpected, unanticipated, unpredicted†, unlooked for, unforeseen, unhoped for; dropped from the clouds; beyond expectation, contrary to expectation, against expectation, against all expectation; out of one's reckoning; unheard of &c (exceptional) 83; startling, surprising; sudden &c (instantaneous) 113. unpredictable, unforeseeable (unknowable) 519. Adv. abruptly, unexpectedly, surprisingly; plump, pop, a l'improviste [Fr.], unawares; without notice, without warning, without a 'by your leave'; like a thief in the night, like a thunderbolt; in an unguarded moment; suddenly &c (instantaneously) 113. Int. heydey!†, &c (wonder) 870. Phr. little did one think, little did one expect; nobody would ever suppose, nobody would ever think, nobody would ever expect; who would have thought? it beats the Dutch†.