sudden
[ suhd-n ]
/ ˈsʌd n /
adjective
adverb
Literary. without warning; suddenly.
noun
Obsolete. an unexpected occasion or occurrence.
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“I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. I do believe that right makes might and that if I am wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”
Idioms for sudden
all of a sudden, without warning; unexpectedly; suddenly.Also on a sudden .
Origin of sudden
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English adjective and adverb sodain, soden, sodan(e) from Middle French soudain, from Vulgar Latin subitānus, from Latin subitāneus “going or coming stealthily,” equivalent to subitus “sudden, arising without warning” + -āneus composite adjective suffix, equivalent to -ānus + -eus; see origin at subito,-an, -eous
synonym study for sudden
1, 2. Sudden, unexpected, abrupt describe acts, events, or conditions for which there has been no preparation or gradual approach. Sudden refers to the quickness of an occurrence, although the event may have been expected: a sudden change in the weather. Unexpected emphasizes the lack of preparedness for what occurs or appears: an unexpected crisis. Abrupt characterizes something involving a swift adjustment; the effect is often unpleasant, unfavorable, or the cause of dismay: He had an abrupt change in manner. The road came to an abrupt end.
OTHER WORDS FROM sudden
sud·den·ly, adverbsud·den·ness, nounWords nearby sudden
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for sudden
British Dictionary definitions for sudden
sudden
/ (ˈsʌdən) /
adjective
occurring or performed quickly and without warning
marked by haste; abrupt
rare rash; precipitate
noun
archaic an abrupt occurrence or the occasion of such an occurrence (in the phrase on a sudden)
all of a sudden without warning; unexpectedly
adverb
mainly poetic without warning; suddenly
Derived forms of sudden
suddenness, nounWord Origin for sudden
C13: via French from Late Latin subitāneus, from Latin subitus unexpected, from subīre to happen unexpectedly, from sub- secretly + īre to go
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with sudden
sudden
see all of a sudden.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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