врасплох

Russian

Etymology

в (v) +‎ расплох (rasplox). The latter is formally related to плохо́й (ploxój), but semantically is closer to поло́х (polóx), which both derive from Proto-Slavic *polxъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [vrɐˈspɫox]
• Rhymes: -ox

Adverb

враспло́х • (vrasplóx)

1. unawares, unexpectedly, by surprise

   заста́ть / засти́гнуть враспло́х ― zastátʹ / zastígnutʹ vrasplóx ― to take / catch unawares, to surprise, to take by surprise; to catch off guard

   захва́ченный враспло́х ― zaxváčennyj vrasplóx ― taken aback

References

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “врасплох”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress