abrupt

play

adjective \ ə-ˈbrəpt \

Definition of abrupt

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

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abruptly

play \ə-ˈbrəp(t)-lē\ adverb

- ended the meeting abruptly

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abruptness

play \ə-ˈbrəp(t)-nəs\ noun

See abrupt defined for English-language learners

See abrupt defined for kids

abrupt was our Word of the Day on 05/11/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of abrupt in a Sentence

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 of abrupt from the Web

In the residential districts and on suburban farms chickens, puzzled by the abrupt night, took to their roosts; and cattle stirred restlessly in the yards, the routine of their lives distorted by the happening in the sky.

— magner white, sandiegouniontribune.com, "From the archives: When it was midnight at midday!," 17 Aug. 2017
No, the video didn't include the abrupt dismissal of White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci or Robert Mueller's decision to tap a grand jury in the ongoing Russia investigation.

— maggie mallon, Glamour, "Kayleigh McEnany, Trump Mega-Fan, Is the RNC's Newest Spokesperson," 8 Aug. 2017
Sometimes endings can seem scary and abrupt, but letting go is essential in order to learn from our experiences and create room for new and exciting opportunities.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What This Week's Horoscope Means for You," 7 Aug. 2017
After canceling his Purpose Tour two weeks ago, Justin Bieber released a letter explaining his reasons for the abrupt concert cancellations and expressing his overall appreciation for his fans.

— cara zimmerman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Justin Bieber Releases a Heartfelt Letter On Why He Cancelled His 'Purpose' Tour," 3 Aug. 2017
His career came to an abrupt end with George’s death in 1952.

— Washington Post, "Prince Philip, 96, to bid adieu to solo charity appearances," 2 Aug. 2017
Beckman recruited many of the current Illini before his abrupt firing days before the 2015 season opener.

— mike clark, Daily Southtown, "Rising Illini: Ex-Bears coach Lovie Smith believes Illinois on right track," 24 July 2017
After the abrupt death of her father in March to aortic dissection, a form of an heart attack, 44-year-old Wendy Bedsole and her family is in more grief.

— prescotte stokes iii, AL.com, "Mobile woman pleads with suspects to return family's stolen heirlooms," 19 July 2017
The abrupt move left thousands of women who had already ordered or were planning to order their wedding dresses from the store in shock, frustrated, and unsure of what would happen to their dream dresses.

— maggie burch, Glamour, "Women Are Offering Their Own Wedding Dresses to Brides Affected by Alfred Angelo's Closure," 16 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abrupt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 "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 climate 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.

Origin and Etymology of abrupt

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1565

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abrupt Synonyms

Synonyms

blunt, bluff, brusque (also brusk), crusty, curt, downright, short, short-spoken, snippy, unceremonious

Antonyms

circuitous, mealymouthed

Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Discussion of abrupt

precipitate, headlong, abrupt, impetuous, sudden mean showing undue haste or unexpectedness. precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action.

- the army's precipitate withdrawal

headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought.

- a headlong flight from arrest

abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony.

- an abrupt refusal

impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness.

- an impetuous lover proposing marriage

sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action.

- flew into a sudden rage

steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular. steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

- a steep hill
- a steep dive

abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

- a beach with an abrupt drop-off

precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

- the river winds through a precipitous gorge

sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

- sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

ABRUPT Defined for Kids

abrupt

play

adjective \ ə-ˈbrəpt \

Definition of abrupt for Students

1 :happening without warning :sudden

The meeting came to an abrupt end.

2 :¹steep 1

an abrupt drop

3 :rudely brief

an abrupt reply

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abruptly

adverb

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abruptness

noun

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abrupt was our Word of the Day on 05/11/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of abrupt in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of abrupt

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Synonyms

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ABRUPT Defined for Kids

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