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)

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 Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. and suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress

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