abrupt

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin abruptus “broken off”(past participle of abrumpere), equivalent to ab-ab- + -rup- “break” + -tus past participle suffix

synonym study for abrupt

1, 3. See sudden.

OTHER WORDS FROM abrupt

ab·rupt·ly, adverbab·rupt·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use abrupt in a sentence

What’s more, halfway through the season, Bridgerton upends the entire idea that it’s an alternate history with an abrupt, disconnected scene, in which we realize that Charlotte is not the solo reigning British monarch.
The debate over Bridgerton and race|Aja Romano|January 7, 2021|Vox
Ma’s abrupt disappearance from the TV show has drawn scrutiny because it came days after he delivered a now infamous speech to the Bund Summit in Shanghai.
Is Jack Ma missing? The rumors alone represent a chilling new message from Beijing|claychandler|January 5, 2021|Fortune
After the last ice age, human colonization of Greenland surged with a period of warming only to sharply contract again during a period of abrupt cooling.
The Big Thaw: How Russia Could Dominate a Warming World|by Abrahm Lustgarten, photography by Sergey Ponomarev|December 16, 2020|ProPublica
The abrupt resolution upends the investigation on which she had spent nearly a decade.
Harvard students told a lurid tale of murder. Was it true?|Marin Cogan|December 11, 2020|Washington Post

The move, announced by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday, is an abrupt change from a previous plan that forced the entire school system to close just 10 days ago.
The Health 202: Obese Americans could be prioritized for coronavirus vaccine|Paige Winfield Cunningham|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
Given the abruptness of his departure, he may yet have to decide himself, aides and friends say.
Gen. McChrystal: Future Bookstore Owner?|Ellen Knickmeyer|June 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Though the abruptness of his conduct startled me, I could not but regard him with some admiration.
Travels through the South of France and the Interior of Provinces of Provence and Languedoc in the Years 1807 and 1808|Lt-Col. Pinkney
Charley's words were verified, and Ida blamed herself severely for her cruel abruptness.
Alone|Marion Harland
Climbing out of the train Stanton stood for a second rubbing his eyes at the final abruptness and unreality of it all.
Molly Make-Believe|Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
We must remember the unexampled abruptness of the Arabian revolution.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 56, Number 348|Various
His voice broke in suddenly on her swift, tumultuous thoughts, making her start with its cold abruptness.
A Dreadful Temptation|Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller

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 forms of abrupt

abruptly, 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

abrupt

OTHER WORDS FOR abrupt

OPPOSITES FOR abrupt

Origin of abrupt

synonym study for abrupt

OTHER WORDS FROM abrupt

Words related to abrupt

How to use abrupt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for abrupt

Derived forms of abrupt

Word Origin for abrupt