思いのほか
Meanings
Adverb
No-adjective
1. unexpectedly; surprisingly
Other spellings
思いの外思いの他
Kanji used
Kanji in other spellings
Pitch accent
おもいのほか
おもいのほか
Examples2
山頂
The summit was surprisingly nice.
寝転がる
As I lay down to sleep, the ceiling lights were unexpectedly bright.