He had been deeply affected by the sudden death of his father-in-law.
'I hope,' the stranger said, 'that the sudden change of venue did not inconvenienceyou.'.
She started to thank him, but a sudden movement behind him caught her attention.
It was all very sudden.
Synonyms: quick, rapid, unexpected, swift More Synonyms of sudden
suddennessuncountable noun
The enemy seemed stunned by the suddenness of the attack.
2.
See all of a sudden
sudden in British English
(ˈsʌdən)
adjective
1.
occurring or performed quickly and without warning
2.
marked by haste; abrupt
3. rare
rash; precipitate
noun
4. archaic
an abrupt occurrence or the occasion of such an occurrence (in the phrase on a sudden)
5. all of a sudden
adverb
6. mainly poetic
without warning; suddenly
Derived forms
suddenness (ˈsuddenness)
noun
Word origin
C13: via French from Late Latin subitāneus, from Latin subitus unexpected, from subīre to happen unexpectedly, from sub- secretly + īre to go
sudden in American English
(ˈsʌdən)
adjective
1.
a.
happening or coming unexpectedly; not foreseen or prepared for
a sudden storm came up
b.
sharp or abrupt
a sudden turn in the road
2.
done, coming, or taking place quickly or abruptly; hasty
Idioms:
all of a sudden
SYNONYMY NOTE: sudden implies extreme quickness or hastiness and, usually, unexpectedness [a sudden outburst of temper]; precipitate adds the implication of rashness or lack of due deliberation [a precipitate decision]; abrupt implies a breaking in or off suddenly and, hence, suggests the lack of any warningor a curtness, lack of ceremony, etc. [an abrupt dismissal]; impetuous implies vehement impulsiveness or extreme eagerness [an impetuous suitor]
OPPOSITE: deliberate
Derived forms
suddenly (ˈsuddenly)
adverb
suddenness (ˈsuddenness)
noun
Word origin
ME sodain < OFr < VL *subitanus, for L subitaneus, sudden, extended < subitus, pp. of subire, to approach, go stealthily < sub-, under + ire, to go or come: see year
Examples of 'sudden' in a sentence
sudden
No contingency made for the sudden arrival of a large number of fans.
The Sun (2016)
His accident brought his career to a sudden halt.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The sudden disappearance of two giants of the airwaves is not.
The Sun (2014)
The share price surged and all of a sudden things are looking up.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This sudden attack from behind decided the affair.
Frederick Marryat The Children of the New Forest (1847)
This can mean hospitals having to deal with a sudden influx of patients.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Just five per cent of people who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital live.
The Sun (2012)
Will sudden success change a love relationship?
The Sun (2012)
This is not a plant used to sudden movements.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But five booming years will soon come to a sudden halt.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The sudden disappearance of food price inflation may not last for long.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It all looks very sudden and small investors have been taken by surprise.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Then his mum died of a sudden heart attack and he went into his shell.
The Sun (2015)
Schools hit by a sudden influx of migrant pupils will get extra language teachers.
The Sun (2009)
But few who suffer sudden cardiac arrest will have such a lucky confluence of circumstances.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Hence the time gap before you can adjust fully to sudden changes in light.
Hunter, Carol The Vitamin Fact Finder (1987)
In some cases there are no early symptoms and sudden death is the first indication that anything is wrong.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So much for fears that the scheme could cause a sudden rush to sell and a dire shortage thereafter.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They faced sudden Maoist visits and strikes that closed the banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Like the city, the residents have been transformed by the sudden and brutal arrival of civil war.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In other languages
sudden
British English: sudden /ˈsʌdn/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is sudden happens quickly and unexpectedly.
...the sudden death of her father.
American English: sudden
Arabic: مُفَاجِئ
Brazilian Portuguese: repentino
Chinese: 突然的
Croatian: nagao
Czech: náhlý
Danish: pludselig
Dutch: plotseling
European Spanish: repentino
Finnish: äkillinen
French: soudain
German: plötzlich
Greek: ξαφνικός
Italian: improvviso
Japanese: 突然の
Korean: 갑작스러운
Norwegian: plutselig
Polish: nagły
European Portuguese: repentino
Romanian: neașteptat
Russian: внезапный
Latin American Spanish: repentino
Swedish: plötslig
Thai: ทันทีทันใด
Turkish: ani
Ukrainian: раптовий
Vietnamese: bất ngờ
All related terms of 'sudden'
sudden end
An end to something or the end of it is the act or result of stopping it so that it does not continue any longer.
sudden fame
If you achieve fame , you become very well-known .
sudden loss
Loss is the fact of no longer having something or having less of it than before.
sudden change
If there is a change in something, it becomes different.
sudden death
Sudden death is a way of quickly deciding the winner of something such as a football or basketball game or a golf tournament when there are equal scores at the time when it would normally end . In a sudden-death situation , the first team to score a goal or the first golfer to win a hole is the winner.
sudden departure
Departure or a departure is the act of going away from somewhere .
all of a sudden
If something happens all of a sudden , it happens quickly and unexpectedly.
sudden cardiac death
the unexpected death of a young adult , usually due to undetected inherited heart disease
sudden death syndrome
the unexpected death of a young adult , usually due to undetected inherited heart disease
sudden-wealth syndrome
the guilt or lack of motivation experienced by people who have made or inherited large amounts of money
sudden adult death syndrome
the unexpected death of a young adult , usually due to undetected inherited heart disease
sudden infant death syndrome
the sudden death, of unknown cause, of an apparently healthy infant , usually during sleep
affluenza
the guilt or lack of motivation experienced by people who have made or inherited large amounts of money
cot death
Cot death is the sudden death of a baby while it is asleep , although the baby had not previously been ill .
crib death
Crib death is the sudden death of a baby while it is asleep , although the baby had not previously been ill .
Chinese translation of 'sudden'
sudden
(ˈsʌdn)
adj
意外的 (yìwài de)
all of a sudden出乎意料 (chū hū yìliào)
(adjective)
Definition
occurring or performed quickly and without warning
It was all very sudden.
Synonyms
quick
I just popped in for a quick chat.
rapid
the country's rapid economic growth
unexpected
His death was totally unexpected.
swift
a swift runner
hurried
They had a hurried breakfast, then left.
abrupt
His abrupt departure is bound to raise questions.
hasty
They need to make a hasty escape.
impulsive
The press claim that she is too impulsive to be a responsible prime minister.
unforeseen
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the show has been cancelled.
Opposites
expected
,
slow
,
gentle
,
anticipated
, deliberate,
gradual
,
foreseen
,
unhasty
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abrupt
Definition
sudden or unexpected
His abrupt departure is bound to raise questions.
Synonyms
sudden,
unexpected,
hurried,
rapid,
surprising,
quick,
swift,
rash,
precipitate,
hasty,
impulsive,
headlong,
unforeseen,
unanticipated
in the sense of hasty
Definition
done or happening suddenly or quickly
They need to make a hasty escape.
Synonyms
speedy,
fast,
quick,
prompt,
rapid,
fleet,
hurried,
urgent,
swift,
brisk,
expeditious
in the sense of hurried
Definition
done quickly or too quickly
They had a hurried breakfast, then left.
Synonyms
hasty,
quick,
brief,
rushed,
short,
swift,
speedy,
precipitate,
quickie (informal),
breakneck
Synonyms of 'sudden'
sudden
Explore 'sudden' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of impulsive
Definition
done without thinking first
The press claim that she is too impulsive to be a responsible prime minister.
Synonyms
instinctive,
emotional,
unpredictable,
quick,
passionate,
rash,
spontaneous,
precipitate,
intuitive,
hasty,
headlong,
impetuous,
devil-may-care,
unconsidered,
unpremeditated
in the sense of rapid
Definition
(of an action) taking or lasting a short time
the country's rapid economic growth
Synonyms
sudden,
prompt,
speedy,
precipitate,
express,
immediate,
fleet,
swift,
quickie (informal),
expeditious
in the sense of swift
Definition
moving or able to move quickly
a swift runner
Synonyms
fast,
quick,
rapid,
flying,
express,
winged,
sudden,
fleet,
hurried,
speedy,
spanking,
nimble,
quickie (informal),
nippy (British, informal),
fleet-footed
in the sense of unexpected
Definition
surprising or unforeseen
His death was totally unexpected.
Synonyms
unforeseen,
surprising,
unanticipated,
chance,
sudden,
astonishing,
startling,
unpredictable,
accidental,
abrupt,
out of the blue,
unannounced,
fortuitous,
unheralded,
unlooked-for,
not bargained for
in the sense of unforeseen
Definition
surprising because not expected
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the show has been cancelled.