abrupt

[ uh-bruhpt ]

/ əˈbrʌpt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR abrupt ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

sudden or unexpected: an abrupt departure.

curt or brusque in speech, manner, etc.: an abrupt reply.

terminating or changing suddenly: an abrupt turn in a road.

having many sudden changes from one subject to another; lacking in continuity or smoothness: an abrupt writing style.

steep; precipitous: an abrupt descent.

Botany. truncate(def 4).

Nearby words

abroach, abroad, abrogable, abrogate, abrogation, abrupt, abruptio placentae, abruption, abruptly, abruptly pinnate, abruzzi

Origin of abrupt

1575–85; < Latin abruptus broken off (past participle of abrumpere), equivalent to ab- ab- + -rup- break + -tus past participle suffix

SYNONYMS FOR abrupt

1, 3 quick, sharp. See sudden.

2 short, hurried, hasty, blunt.

4 discontinuous, broken, uneven.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR abrupt ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR abrupt

1, 3 gradual.

2 deliberate; patient, courteous.

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Related formsab·rupt·ly, adverbab·rupt·ness, nounun·ab·rupt·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for abrupt

In May 2009, however, the president had an abrupt change of heart.
The Detainee Abuse Photos Obama Didn’t Want You To See|Noah Shachtman, Tim Mak|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fans felt cheated by the abrupt end of a marriage seasons in the making (to Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery).
‘The Walking Dead’ Fans Demand: Bring Back Beth!|Melissa Leon|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Biologist Mattson is alarmed by the abrupt 2008 rise in grizzly mortality from conflicts both with livestock and hunters.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
King declined to elaborate on what that “immediate and abrupt action” would be, saying only that he had “a few ideas.”
Steve King: GOP Congress Should Keep Repealing Obamacare|Ben Jacobs|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The abrupt increase that night in U.S. sorties also stopped the town falling.
In the Battle for Kobani, ISIS Falls Back. But for How Long?|Jamie Dettmer|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A messenger was at once dispatched to the hall with a note of apology for their abrupt departure.
Frank Oldfield|T.P. Wilson
Then, with an abrupt start of surprise, the two men straightened themselves.
The Market-Place|Harold Frederic
The defiant ring of this abrupt question brought Bea to her sense of the situation.
Beatrice Leigh at College|Julia Augusta Schwartz
As Barclay spoke in this abrupt way to him, he started and stared wildly at the speaker.
The Master of the Ceremonies|George Manville Fenn
Both of them would have been more upset had their love affair come to a sudden and abrupt close.
People of Position|Stanley Portal Hyatt

British Dictionary definitions for abrupt

abrupt

/ (əˈbrʌpt) /

adjective

sudden; unexpected

brusque or brief in speech, manner, etc; curt

(of a style of writing or speaking) making sharp transitions from one subject to another; disconnected

precipitous; steep

botany shaped as though a part has been cut off; truncate

geology (of strata) cropping out suddenly

Derived Formsabruptly, adverbabruptness, noun

Word Origin for abrupt

C16: from Latin abruptus broken off, from ab- 1 + rumpere to break

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for abrupt

abrupt

adj.

1580s, from Latin abruptus "broken off, precipitous, disconnected," past participle of abrumpere "break off," from ab- "off" (see ab-) + rumpere "break" (see rupture (n.)). Related: Abruptly; abruptness.