Definition
喜出望外 is a four-character idiom emphasizing being overjoyed because something unexpected and welcome happens. It differs from 惊喜 (jīng xǐ, pleasantly surprised) in that 喜出望外 stresses that the joy goes beyond normal expectations, while 惊喜 is a more general adjective. Unlike 大吃一惊 (dà chī-yì jīng), 喜出望外 is always positive — not shocked, but delighted.
phrase
overjoyed beyond one's expectationspleasantly surprised
Examples
- ，喜出望外。Tīng dào zìjǐ bèi lùqǔ de xiāoxi, tā xǐ chū wàng wài.Hearing the news that he was admitted, he was overjoyed beyond expectations.
- ，喜出望外。Tā méi xiǎng dào huì shōu dào zhème guìzhòng de lǐwù, zhēn shì xǐ chū wàng wài.She didn't expect to receive such an expensive gift; she was truly overjoyed.
- ，喜出望外。Zhè cì bǐsài néng ná guànjūn, quán duì dōu xǐ chū wàng wài.Winning the championship in this competition made the whole team overjoyed beyond expectations.
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