abrupt

adjective

ə-ˈbrəpt

: characterized by or involving action or change without preparation or warning : sudden and unexpected

came to an abrupt stop

an abrupt turn

an abrupt decision to retire

: rudely or unceremoniously curt

She has an abrupt manner.

an abrupt reply

: lacking smoothness or continuity

an abrupt transition

: giving the impression of being cut or broken off

especially : involving a sudden steep rise or drop

abrupt hills

a high abrupt bank bounded the stream

abruptness

ə-ˈbrəp(t)-nəs How to pronounce abrupt (audio)

noun

Did you know?

We'll break it to you gently: abrupt derives from abruptus, the past participle of the Latin verb abrumpere, meaning "to break off." Abrumpere combines the prefix ab- with rumpere, which means "to break" and which forms the basis for several other words in English that suggest a kind of breaking, such as interrupt, rupture, and bankrupt. Whether being used to describe a style of speaking that seems rudely short (as in "gave an abrupt answer"), something with a severe rise or drop ("abrupt temperature change"), or something that seems rash and unprecipitated ("made the abrupt decision to quit college"), abrupt, which first appeared in English in the 16th century, implies a kind of jarring unexpectedness that catches people off guard.

Example Sentences

There was an abrupt change in the weather. The road came to an abrupt end. The storm caused an abrupt power failure. She has an abrupt manner.

Recent Examples on the Web Wallis Simpson, the woman whose fate altered Elizabeth’s destiny, wrote of being unprepared for Edward’s abrupt rejection by an establishment that had put him on a pedestal.

Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 The spectacularly volatile compound of place and moment was exploding into galaxies of potentialities that invited psychological exploration, social experimentation, abrupt life transitions, and exuberant or desperate adventure.

Deborah Eisenberg, The New York Review of Books, 7 Sep. 2022 The latter interest leads him to develop new friendships with local music students, compounding Pádraic’s abrupt isolation.

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2022 If not, the resulting damage could lead to an abrupt engine shutdown and aborted flight.

Denise Chow, NBC News, 3 Sep. 2022 If not, the resulting damage could lead to an abrupt engine shutdown and aborted flight.

Marcia Dunn, Chron, 3 Sep. 2022 If not, the resulting damage could lead to an abrupt engine shutdown and aborted flight.

Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 Barbie's abrupt exit followed a pre-existing backlash surrounding Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules, another leading character on the show.

Francesca Specter, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2022 The abrupt transition to remote work was smoother than adapting to the current reality, in which some people stay home and others schlep back to the office.

Ben Cohen, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 See More

abrupt

adjective

as in blunt

being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner the policeman's abrupt manner discouraged me from trying to claim that I hadn't seen the red light

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

blunt
short
curt
gruff
brusque
unceremonious
rude
outspoken
downright
snippy
bluff
crass
crusty
straightforward
brusk
rough
honest
frank
vulgar
snappish
direct
plain
short-spoken
candid
brief
discourteous
insensitive
impolite
forthright
inconsiderate
tactless
disrespectful
undiplomatic
reserved
earnest
terse
open
laconic
artless
coarse
impertinent
plainspoken
sincere
closemouthed
reticent
straight-out
uncouth
crude
free-spoken
point-blank
low
foursquare
tight-lipped

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

smooth
circuitous
diplomatic
polite
gracious
courteous
civil
tactful
considerate
suave
talkative
voluble
politic
loquacious
prolix
mealymouthed
verbose
polished
long-winded
gallant
genteel
courtly
refined
cultivated

as in steep

having an incline approaching the perpendicular the gentle, rolling hills gradually give way to high mountains with abrupt sides

Synonyms & Similar Words

steep
precipitous
mountainous
vertical
sheer
sloped
bold
perpendicular
tilted
craggy
angled
hilly
plumb
tipped
straight
scarped
slanted
inclined
cocked
heeled
hillocky
listed
canted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

easy
gradual
gentle
moderate
soft
smooth
flat
horizontal
level
even
flush
unruffled
plane
unwrinkled

as in sudden

not expected his abrupt reappearance seems to have caught everyone off guard

Synonyms & Similar Words

sudden
unexpected
unanticipated
unforeseen
unlooked-for
startling
improbable
unlikely
unplanned
unintended
surprising

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

anticipated
expected
foreseen
predicted
unsurprising
prophesied

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of abrupt are precipitous, sheer, and steep. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

The words precipitous and abrupt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

The words sheer and abrupt can be used in similar contexts, but sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

The synonyms steep and abrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill

a steep dive

单词	abrupt
释义	abrupt adjective ə-ˈbrəpt 1 a : characterized by or involving action or change without preparation or warning : sudden and unexpected came to an abrupt stop an abrupt turn an abrupt decision to retire b : rudely or unceremoniously curt She has an abrupt manner. an abrupt reply c : lacking smoothness or continuity an abrupt transition 2 : giving the impression of being cut or broken off especially : involving a sudden steep rise or drop abrupt hills a high abrupt bank bounded the stream abruptness ə-ˈbrəp(t)-nəs noun Did you know? We'll break it to you gently: abrupt derives from abruptus, the past participle of the Latin verb abrumpere, meaning "to break off." Abrumpere combines the prefix ab- with rumpere, which means "to break" and which forms the basis for several other words in English that suggest a kind of breaking, such as interrupt, rupture, and bankrupt. Whether being used to describe a style of speaking that seems rudely short (as in "gave an abrupt answer"), something with a severe rise or drop ("abrupt temperature change"), or something that seems rash and unprecipitated ("made the abrupt decision to quit college"), abrupt, which first appeared in English in the 16th century, implies a kind of jarring unexpectedness that catches people off guard. Synonyms bluff blunt brusque brusk crusty curt downright short short-spoken snippy unceremonious See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences There was an abrupt change in the weather. The road came to an abrupt end. The storm caused an abrupt power failure. She has an abrupt manner. Recent Examples on the Web Wallis Simpson, the woman whose fate altered Elizabeth’s destiny, wrote of being unprepared for Edward’s abrupt rejection by an establishment that had put him on a pedestal. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 The spectacularly volatile compound of place and moment was exploding into galaxies of potentialities that invited psychological exploration, social experimentation, abrupt life transitions, and exuberant or desperate adventure. Deborah Eisenberg, The New York Review of Books, 7 Sep. 2022 The latter interest leads him to develop new friendships with local music students, compounding Pádraic’s abrupt isolation. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2022 If not, the resulting damage could lead to an abrupt engine shutdown and aborted flight. Denise Chow, NBC News, 3 Sep. 2022 If not, the resulting damage could lead to an abrupt engine shutdown and aborted flight. Marcia Dunn, Chron, 3 Sep. 2022 If not, the resulting damage could lead to an abrupt engine shutdown and aborted flight. Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 Barbie's abrupt exit followed a pre-existing backlash surrounding Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules, another leading character on the show. Francesca Specter, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2022 The abrupt transition to remote work was smoother than adapting to the current reality, in which some people stay home and others schlep back to the office. Ben Cohen, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 See More Word History Etymology borrowed from Latin abruptus "steep, sheer, broken or cut off too short," from past participle of abrumpere "to break, rupture, break off short," from ab- ab- + rumpere "to cause to break or burst," going back to Indo-European ru-n-p-, nasal present formation from the base reu̯p- "break, tear" — more at reave First Known Use 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Kids Definition abrupt adjective ə-ˈbrəpt 1 : happening without warning : sudden The meeting came to an abrupt end. 2 : steep entry 1 sense 1 an abrupt drop 3 : rudely brief an abrupt reply abrupt adjective 1 as in blunt being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner the policeman's abrupt manner discouraged me from trying to claim that I hadn't seen the red light Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance blunt short curt gruff brusque unceremonious rude outspoken downright snippy bluff crass crusty straightforward brusk rough honest frank vulgar snappish direct plain short-spoken candid brief discourteous insensitive impolite forthright inconsiderate tactless disrespectful undiplomatic reserved earnest terse open laconic artless coarse impertinent plainspoken sincere closemouthed reticent straight-out uncouth crude free-spoken point-blank low foursquare tight-lipped Antonyms & Near Antonyms smooth circuitous diplomatic polite gracious courteous civil tactful considerate suave talkative voluble politic loquacious prolix mealymouthed verbose polished long-winded gallant genteel courtly refined cultivated See More 2 as in steep having an incline approaching the perpendicular the gentle, rolling hills gradually give way to high mountains with abrupt sides Synonyms & Similar Words steep precipitous mountainous vertical sheer sloped bold perpendicular tilted craggy angled hilly plumb tipped straight scarped slanted inclined cocked heeled hillocky listed canted Antonyms & Near Antonyms easy gradual gentle moderate soft smooth flat horizontal level even flush unruffled plane unwrinkled See More 3 as in sudden not expected his abrupt reappearance seems to have caught everyone off guard Synonyms & Similar Words sudden unexpected unanticipated unforeseen unlooked-for startling improbable unlikely unplanned unintended surprising Antonyms & Near Antonyms anticipated expected foreseen predicted unsurprising prophesied Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of abrupt are precipitous, sheer, and steep. While all these words mean "having an incline approaching the perpendicular," abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level. a beach with an abrupt drop-off The words precipitous and abrupt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical. the river winds through a precipitous gorge The words sheer and abrupt can be used in similar contexts, but sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse. sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers The synonyms steep and abrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult. a steep hill a steep dive
随便看	leadhillite leadier leadiest leading leading article leading brand leading edge leading edges leading indicator leading ladies leading lady leading light leading load leading man leading mark leading men leading motive leading off leading on leading one down the garden path leading question leading rein leading seventh leading stone leading strings

abrupt

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser