sudden
[suhd-n]
- happening, coming, made, or done quickly, without warning, or unexpectedly: a sudden attack.
- occurring without transition from the previous form, state, etc.; abrupt: a sudden turn.
- impetuous; rash.
- Archaic. quickly made or provided.
- Obsolete. unpremeditated.
Show More
- Literary. suddenly.
Show More
- Obsolete. an unexpected occasion or occurrence.
Show More
- all of a sudden, without warning; unexpectedly; suddenly.Also on a sudden.
Show More
Origin of sudden
Synonyms
See more synonyms for sudden on Thesaurus.com1, 2. unforeseen, unanticipated. 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.
Antonyms
1, 2. gradual, foreseen.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for suddenness
Contemporary Examples
But it was the suddenness of his proposal to Megan upon arriving back in New York that had even her gasping with surprise.
The suddenness of Sarah Palin's resignation Friday raises the question about whether Palin is leaving to avert a major scandal.
Historical Examples
The suddenness of it all held Mary voiceless for long seconds.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
Then he disappeared with a suddenness that made the colonel and Dick gasp.
The Rock of ChickamaugaJoseph A. Altsheler
He was stunned by the suddenness of the catastrophe that had overtaken them.
Two Thousand Miles BelowCharles Willard Diffin
Moreover, the suddenness of the call alarmed her and raised doubts.
Polly sat still in her chair, dazed by the suddenness and injustice of it.
Polly of Lady Gay CottageEmma C. Dowd
sudden
- occurring or performed quickly and without warning
- marked by haste; abrupt
- rare rash; precipitate
Show More
- archaic an abrupt occurrence or the occasion of such an occurrence (in the phrase on a sudden)
- all of a sudden without warning; unexpectedly
Show More
- mainly poetic without warning; suddenly
Show More
Word Origin
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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for suddenness
sudden
adj.
late 13c., perhaps via Anglo-French sodein, from Old French subdain "immediate, sudden," from Vulgar Latin *subitanus, variant of Latin subitaneus "sudden," from subitus "come or go up stealthily," from sub "up to" + ire "come, go." Phrase all of a sudden first attested 1680s, earlier of a sudayn (1590s), upon the soden (1550s). Sudden death, tie-breakers in sports, first recorded 1927; earlier in reference to coin tosses (1834).
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with suddenness
sudden
see all of a sudden.
Show More
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.