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definitions

sudden

[suhd-n]
See more synonyms for sudden on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. happening, coming, made, or done quickly, without warning, or unexpectedly: a sudden attack.
  2. occurring without transition from the previous form, state, etc.; abrupt: a sudden turn.
  3. impetuous; rash.
  4. Archaic. quickly made or provided.
  5. Obsolete. unpremeditated.
adverb
  1. Literary. suddenly.
noun
  1. Obsolete. an unexpected occasion or occurrence.
Idioms
  1. all of a sudden, without warning; unexpectedly; suddenly.Also on a sudden.

Origin of sudden

1250–1300; Middle English sodain (adj. and adv.) < Middle French < Latin subitāneus going or coming stealthily, equivalent to subit(us) sudden, taking by surprise (see subito) + -āneus composite adj. suffix, equivalent to -ān(us) -an + -eus -eous
Related formssud·den·ly, adverbsud·den·ness, noun

Synonyms for sudden

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1, 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 for sudden

1, 2. gradual, foreseen.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for suddenness

bewilderment, consternation, revelation, shock, jolt, miracle, disappointment, curiosity, amazement, awe, wonder, astonishment, phenomenon, precipitance, miscalculation, portent, disillusion, prodigy, start, attack

Examples from the Web for suddenness

Contemporary Examples of suddenness

  • But it was the suddenness of his proposal to Megan upon arriving back in New York that had even her gasping with surprise.

    The Daily Beast logo
    Mad Men's 12 Most Memorable Moments

    Jace Lacob

    October 18, 2010

  • The suddenness of Sarah Palin's resignation Friday raises the question about whether Palin is leaving to avert a major scandal.

    The Daily Beast logo
    Did a Scandal Sink the U.S.S. Palin?

    Max Blumenthal

    July 3, 2009

Historical Examples of suddenness

British Dictionary definitions for suddenness

sudden

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. all of a sudden without warning; unexpectedly
adverb
  1. mainly poetic without warning; suddenly
Derived Formssuddenness, noun

Word 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 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).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with suddenness

sudden

see all of a sudden.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.