sudden

[suhd-n]

adjective

1. happening, coming, made, or done quickly, without warning, or unexpectedly.

   a sudden attack.

   Antonyms: gradual

2. occurring without transition from the previous form, state, etc.; abrupt.

   a sudden turn.

   Antonyms: gradual

3. impetuous; rash.

4. Archaic.,  quickly made or provided.

5. Obsolete.,  unpremeditated.

adverb

1. Literary.,  without warning; suddenly.

noun

1. Obsolete.,  an unexpected occasion or occurrence.

sudden

/ ˈsʌdən /

adjective

1. occurring or performed quickly and without warning

2. marked by haste; abrupt

3. rare,  rash; precipitate

noun

1. archaic,  an abrupt occurrence or the occasion of such an occurrence (in the phrase on a sudden )

2. without warning; unexpectedly

adverb

1. poetic,  without warning; suddenly

Other Word Forms

• suddenly adverb
• suddenness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sudden¹

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; subito, -an, -eous

Word History and Origins

Origin of sudden¹

C13: via French from Late Latin subitāneus, from Latin subitus unexpected, from subīre to happen unexpectedly, from sub- secretly + īre to go

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. all of a sudden, without warning; unexpectedly; suddenly. Also on a sudden

see all of a sudden.

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

The sudden and unprecedented resignation of its moderator, Rev Trevor Gribben, has left the church grappling with the scale of its own safeguarding failures and facing an uncertain reckoning over what happens next.

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He wrote, “The bed, naturally enough, caught on fire, and Keith and Donna barely escaped the sudden inferno with their skins intact. The room was a total loss.”

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“All of a sudden Taylor did this TikTok where she kind of jokingly said, ‘This is my audition for ‘The Bachelorette,’” he recalled.

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Rosen would be the last person surprised by his novel’s sudden relevance.

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The same can be claimed for the sudden, prizewinning visibility of nonwhite novelists and poets.

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Related Words

• abrupt 
• hasty 
• immediate 
• precipitous 
• quick 
• rapid 
• swift 
• unforeseen 
• unusual