abruptly
Americanadverb
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without warning; suddenly or unexpectedly.
Not noticing that the car in front of him had stopped abruptly, he rear-ended it.
-
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?”
-
steeply; sharply.
At one end, the meadow flowed into a large valley; at the other, it dropped off abruptly in a cliff.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of abruptly
Explanation
If the weather changes abruptly, from bright and sunny to pouring down rain, you're going to get wet. When something happens abruptly, it is sudden and unexpected. Almost anything can change abruptly, and it will always take you by surprise, whether it's the movement of a car, the mood of a movie, or the behavior of your dog. If you've ever had a conversation with someone who spoke to you abruptly, you may have found them a little rude. A physical attribute can also be described as abrupt, like when the edge of a rocky cliff drops abruptly to the ocean.
Vocabulary lists containing abruptly
A Long Walk to Water
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"Of Mice and Men"
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Number the Stars
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many are anxious about the fate of their homes, while others have had their holidays abruptly cut short.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
But he abruptly canceled the trip and announced that he would seek the warrants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
At this point, the Sun's most severe space weather appears to end abruptly.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
The preliminary report published last July had said that just seconds after take-off, fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the "cut-off" position, starving the engines of fuel and triggering total power loss.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Jack yelled, and leapt forward—only to stop abruptly as the Wicked Queen pointed one long, fiery finger at him.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
