sudden

1 of 2

adjective

sud·​den ˈsə-dᵊn How to pronounce sudden (audio)
1
a
: happening or coming unexpectedly
a sudden shower
b
: changing angle or character all at once
a sudden drop in the ocean bottom
2
: marked by or manifesting abruptness or haste
a sudden departure
3
: made or brought about in a short time : prompt
suddenly adverb
suddenness noun

sudden

2 of 2

noun

obsolete
: an unexpected occurrence : emergency
Phrases
all of a sudden or less commonly on a sudden
: very quickly in usually an unexpected way : in a sudden manner
Choose the Right Synonym for sudden

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

Examples of sudden in a Sentence

Adjective a sudden change in temperature Sudden fame can be difficult to deal with. She had a sudden urge to be outside. His death was very sudden. a sudden turn in the road I was surprised by her sudden decision to quit. The director's sudden departure leaves the organization's future uncertain.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
On April 28th, a sudden frequency drop in Spain’s power grid triggered cascading shutdowns, leaving millions without power. Mark Le Dain, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 Then, all of a sudden, one of those teams had one of the top five players in the league fall right in its lap. Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 1 May 2025 And then all of the sudden all of these people come over and start dropping turkey and stuffing all over the ground. Raven Brunner, People.com, 1 May 2025 The coalition sent a letter to the administration which likely prompted the sudden change of heart regarding auto tariffs. Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sudden

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sodain, from Anglo-French sudain, from Latin subitaneus, from subitus sudden, from past participle of subire to come up, from sub- up + ire to go — more at sub-, issue entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1558, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sudden was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sudden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sudden. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

sudden

adjective
sud·​den
ˈsəd-ᵊn
1
a
: happening or coming unexpectedly
a sudden shower
b
: changing angle or character all at once
a sudden turn in the road
2
: marked by or showing haste
a sudden decision
3
: made or brought about in a short time
a sudden cure
suddenly adverb
suddenness
ˈsəd-ᵊn-(n)əs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sudden

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