Dictionary / Vocabulary / 思いのほか
おもいのほか
unexpectedly; surprisingly
Also written 思いの外、思いの他
寝転がると、天井の照明が思いの外眩しい。
As I lay down to sleep, the ceiling lights were unexpectedly bright.
まずそうな店構えだけど、実際食べたら思いのほかおいしかった。
The storefront doesn't look good, but the food was actually surprisingly delicious.
山頂は思いのほか涼しくて気持ちが良かった。
The summit was surprisingly nice.