abruptly

[ uh-bruhpt-lee ]

adverb

1. without warning; suddenly or unexpectedly:

   Not noticing that the car in front of him had stopped abruptly, he rear-ended it.

2. in few words and without using any polite formulas; brusquely:

   My 14-year-old son was calling; as soon as I picked up, he asked abruptly, “How long till you get home?”

3. steeply; sharply:

   At one end, the meadow flowed into a large valley; at the other, it dropped off abruptly in a cliff.

Other Words From

• un·ab·rupt·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of abruptly¹

abrupt ( def ) + -ly

Related Words

• all of a sudden
• precipitously
• suddenly
• unexpectedly