What does "Curveball" mean?

An unexpected or deceptive situation or question. From baseball—a pitch that curves unexpectedly. Now means any surprise that's hard to deal with.

How do you use "Curveball" in a sentence?

Life threw me a curveball. That interview question was a real curveball. The pandemic threw everyone a curveball.

Slang Term AmericanBritish ★★★★☆ Common Casual

Significado: An unexpected or deceptive situation or question.

出人意料的情况或问题

Una situación o pregunta inesperada o engañosa.

予想外の、または惑わせるような状況や質問

예상치 못한 상황이나 질문

From baseball—a pitch that curves unexpectedly. Now means any surprise that's hard to deal with.

源自棒球——一种出人意料地转弯的投球。现在指任何难以应对的意外。

Del béisbol—un lanzamiento que curva inesperadamente. Ahora significa cualquier sorpresa difícil de manejar.

野球由来の表現。予想外にカーブするピッチのこと。対処が難しい驚きを指す。

야구에서 유래—예상치 못하게 휘어지는 투구를 뜻한다. 지금은 대처하기 어려운 뜻밖의 상황을 의미한다.

Significado literal: Baseball pitch that curves

Life threw me a curveball.
生活给我出了个难题
La vida me dio una sorpresa
人生に不意打ちを食らった
인생에 불의의 한 방을 맞았어.
That interview question was a real curveball.
那个面试问题真是出乎意料
Esa pregunta de la entrevista fue muy inesperada
あの面接の質問は本当に予想外だった
그 면접 질문은 정말 예상 밖이었어.
The pandemic threw everyone a curveball.
疫情让所有人措手不及
La pandemia pilló a todos desprevenidos
パンデミックは皆に不意打ちを食らわせた
팬데믹은 모두에게 뜻밖의 시련이었어.

/ˈkɜːvbɔːl/

Contexto: surprise, difficulty, unexpected

Tono: surprised, challenged

Surprise
Surprise（惊喜）
Surprise（Sorpresa）
Surprise（サプライズ）
Surprise（놀라움）
Unexpected problem
Unexpected problem（意外的问题）
Unexpected problem（Problema inesperado）
Unexpected problem（予想外の問題）
Unexpected problem（예상치 못한 문제）

From baseball—a curveball is a pitch that curves as it approaches the batter, making it hard to hit.

Etimología: American baseball slang, 19th century

Primera vez registrado: Late 19th century (sports), 20th century (metaphor)

Era: 19th century to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: American sports; Everyday American speech

Regional notes: American origin—now used in British English too.

CurveballThrow a curveballLife's curveballs