abrupta‧brupt /əˈbrʌpt/ ●○○ adjective 
an abrupt change of plancome to an abrupt end/halt etc The bus came to an abrupt halt.2seeming rude and unfriendly, especially because you do not waste time in friendly conversation: Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so abrupt.—abruptness noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINabrupt
Origin:
1500-1600 Latin past participle of abrumpere, from ab- ‘away, off’ + rumpere ‘to break’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Change it," he says in his abrupt, no-nonsense style.
- "It won't work," Mitchell says in his abrupt, no-nonsense style.
- His departure was abrupt and completely unexpected.
- His new boss was abrupt and didn't seem interested in his proposals.
- The police brought the demonstration to an abrupt end.
- There has been an abrupt shift in the government thinking regarding these issues.
- There may be an abrupt change in weather patterns.
- Despite the three-hour length, the descent of Kathy Bates's character into madness is so abrupt as to be risible.
- In view of the Duchess of York's abrupt departure from the royal family in March this year it was a prudent decision.
- It was the abrupt way he pulled up running out a ball in Game 2 that alerted everyone there was a problem.
- It was, however, an apt symbol for the abrupt end of her government's honeymoon.
- Nothing could be more abrupt than the transition from childhood to school.
- The contrast for the eleven-year-old with the more informal and less specialist work of the primary school was sharp and abrupt.
- There are no abrupt changes.!
Longman Language Activatorwhen someone speaks to you in a rude way, using very few words
replying in very few words in a way that seems rude: · She answered their questions with a curt "No comment".· Polly was curt and businesslike with her clients.· Her story was sent back with a curt rejection note.
a terse message, reply, statement etc uses very few words and is deliberately intended to make people stop speaking to you or asking you questions: · The terse announcement gave no reason for Harris's resignation.· "We're in the process of negotiations," Russo said in a terse statement to reporters.
using few words and saying directly what you think, because that is the way you usually speak, even though it often seems rude to other people: · Mathison's brusque style tends to irritate colleagues.· In public he appears brusque and dismissive, but he is in fact a very caring person.
treating someone's ideas, suggestions, or problems as if they are not at all important or serious, especially by dealing with them in very few words and then changing the subject: · She was very dismissive when I tried to tell her about my problems at work.dismissive of: · Teenagers who have jobs can be quite dismissive of their peers who don't.
to speak to someone in a rude way, using very few words, especially because you are angry with them: · I'm sorry if I was short with you, but I was worried about my interview.· She was very short with me. I wonder if I've offended her in some way.
seeming rude and unfriendly because you answer questions or talk to someone in a quick, direct way, especially because you do not want to waste time in friendly conversation: · "It won't work," Mitchell says in his abrupt, no-nonsense style.· His new boss was abrupt and didn't seem interested in his proposals.
something that happens suddenly happening suddenly: · I felt a sudden sharp pain in my stomach.· Rebecca's decision to leave was very sudden.· Depression is sometimes brought on by a sudden change in your life.
happening suddenly, and making a situation either much better or much worse: · There has been a dramatic increase in homelessness over the past few years.· the dramatic changes that took place in Eastern Europe
sudden, unexpected, and often unwanted: abrupt end/departure/change etc: · The police brought the demonstration to an abrupt end.· His departure was abrupt and completely unexpected.· There has been an abrupt shift in the government thinking regarding these issues.
: snap decision/judgement a decision or judgement that is made very suddenly, often without thinking about it enough: · Snap decisions are not always the best decisions.· Usually she did not make snap judgements about people.
suddenly if something happens suddenly , it happens quickly when you are not expecting it: · Suddenly there was a loud bang and all the lights went out.· I suddenly realized that there was someone following me.die suddenly (=die unexpectedly): · Several years ago her husband died suddenly at the age of 64.
suddenly - use this especially in stories or descriptions of past events: · We waited and waited, then all of a sudden we saw a sail on the horizon.· The way he decided to leave all of a sudden didn't make any sense.
if something happens out of the blue , you are not expecting it at all, and you are very surprised by it: · She told me, out of the blue, that she was going to live in New York.completely out of the blue: · Do you remember Jane? Well, she phoned me yesterday, completely out of the blue.
if something ends or if someone moves or speaks abruptly , they do it suddenly and unexpectedly: · The party was stopped abruptly when the police turned up.· She turned abruptly and went back inside.· "You may leave now,'' he said, abruptly.
if something bad or dangerous happens without warning , it happens suddenly and there were no signs that it was going to happen: · Without warning, tears began to roll down his cheeks.· At five to four Greg went into convulsions. It happened suddenly and without warning.
if you do something on the spur of the moment , you suddenly decide to do something that you had not planned to do: · I bought the car on the spur of the moment.· On the spur of the moment, we decided to head north that day instead of East.
if you say that someone does something or something appears from out of nowhere , it happens suddenly so that you are surprised or shocked: · From out of nowhere he asked me to marry him.· I was doing 80 miles per hour when from out of nowhere this cop on a motorcycle pulled me over.
if something happens at short notice , it happens suddenly without you having time to prepare for it: · Both players pulled out of the competition yesterday at short notice.· Occasionally, tours may have to be cancelled at short notice.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY an abrupt change of plan The bus came to an abrupt halt.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1sudden and unexpected: an abrupt change of plan The bus came to an abrupt halt. (=done suddenly, without being planned)· I didn't know how I was going to explain his abrupt departure to the others.· Their departure seemed rather sudden.
(=sudden and unexpected)· After the news leaked out, his political career came to a sudden end.
(=one that is sudden and unexpected)· His career came to an abrupt halt when he was seriously injured in a road accident.
· the abrupt onset of the rainy season in India (=happening very quickly and suddenly)
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· The transition was so abrupt that it took her by surprise.· For a. brief moment he regretted having been so abrupt with the caller.· Despite the three-hour length, the descent of Kathy Bates's character into madness is so abrupt as to be risible.· Everybody was so abrupt, as if they didn't believe him.· Braun even passed that test, although the transition was so abrupt that he left some of us leaning the wrong way.
· Discussing it afterwards, many people said it was too abrupt, but Mrs Travers and Mrs Patel defended it.· But his dismissal was too abrupt for young boys.· Does the evidence therefore suggest that the slowdown so far is much too abrupt?· There were no drainage ditches here, the shoulders too abrupt, the slope too precipitous, to collect water.
NOUN· Where the soil is different there are abrupt changes in the use which people have made of the land.· There are no abrupt changes.!· In the finale the abrupt changes of pace were contrasted to always good musical effect.· Severe risk was involved in any abrupt change in the way in which we dealt with journalists.· He is used to abrupt changes.· The abrupt change from legacy to trust is very striking.· Sudden and abrupt changes in stance and orientation are off-putting for the opponent so work out some routines to achieve this.· Policy analysis needs to be concerned with a flow of interrelated policies, with abrupt changes of direction a comparatively rare occurrence.
· His abrupt departure left her close to collapse.· In view of the Duchess of York's abrupt departure from the royal family in March this year it was a prudent decision.· David filled her dreams; the ecstasy of their lovemaking, and the pain and bewilderment of his abrupt departure.· He also meets a leader who, after Mr Mandela's abrupt departure, can't help returning to the basic question.· Chapter 31 Nora's abrupt departure had, at first, the desired effect upon John.
· All this came to an abrupt end following an explosion on one of his sites.· However, this great satirical onslaught on the Royal Family came to an abrupt end.· But all their exploits and explorations suddenly came to an abrupt end.· But the increasingly nasty dispute came to an abrupt end as the government announced a settlement.· But the dream came to an abrupt end when Peter Mott came down with polio.· It was, however, an apt symbol for the abrupt end of her government's honeymoon.· It comes to an abrupt end at a field of dirt, bulldozed to make room for a subdivision.
· We come to an abrupt halt.· The chase came to an abrupt halt when nine Mexicali police cars stopped the Jetta and its occupants.· She rushed after him, almost bumping into him as he came to an abrupt halt in the kitchen doorway.· His death in a 1956 car crash brought his career to an abrupt halt when he was just 26.· Nutty arrived on time, thudding out of the dusk and pulling to an abrupt halt.· As all the alarming possibilities ran through her head, she gave a loud gulp and came to an abrupt halt.· But she suffered a setback when a bout of glandular fever looked like bringing her season to an abrupt halt.
an abrupt change of plancome to an abrupt end/halt etc The bus came to an abrupt halt.2seeming rude and unfriendly, especially because you do not waste time in friendly conversation: Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so abrupt.—abruptness noun [uncountable]