suddenly
Britishadverb
Explanation
If you're walking on a crowded street and you stop suddenly — abruptly and without warning — somebody walking behind you may bump into you. If you experience love at first sight, you've suddenly fallen in love. If you're driving at night and a deer jumps out in front of you, you might suddenly have to swerve to avoid it. Suddenly is the kind of adverb you might use a lot if you're describing the plot of an action movie, a mystery novel, or any story in which lots of unexpected things happen.
Vocabulary lists containing suddenly
A Need for Speed: Synonyms for "Fast"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
“They start idealizing their old culture; suddenly things seem much nicer than when they lived at home,” she said.
From Salon • Jul. 11, 2026
"We're not talking about driving on clear streets with clear lanes. There are no streets," he said, also describing scenes where aid trucks are suddenly swarmed by desperately hungry people.
From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026
“A lifetime of love suddenly has nowhere to go. Creating art doesn’t erase grief, but it can become a way to carry it.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
Then, Knof suddenly said he would step down, and German politicians closed ranks against the deal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
He took a step toward me, and his hands were suddenly on my arms.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
