sudden

adjective

sud·den | \ ˈsə-dᵊn

Definition of sudden

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

sudden

noun

Definition of sudden (Entry 2 of 2)

obsolete

: an unexpected occurrence : emergency

all of a sudden or less commonly on a sudden

: sooner than was expected : at once

Other Words from sudden Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about sudden

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Synonyms & Antonyms for sudden

Synonyms: Adjective

abrupt, unanticipated, unexpected, unforeseen, unlooked-for

Antonyms: Adjective

anticipated, expected, foreseen

Choose the Right Synonym for sudden

Adjective

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: Adjective

The story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents’ cliff-side mansion on the Italian Riviera. — Sangeeta Singh-kurtz, Quartzy, "Picking a “destination novel” is the secret to great summer reading," 4 July 2019 The prior November, my almost daily running routine had suffered a sudden interruption. — Katie O'reilly, Outside Online, "Running After Melanoma," 30 June 2019 Ask yourself: why is there so much talk about the U.S.-Mexico border all of a sudden? — Fox News, "Democrats, media change tune on border: No longer a ‘manufactured crisis’," 26 June 2019 Hepatitis A symptoms include: sudden abdominal pain, fever, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, headache, dark urine, and vomiting followed by yellowing of the skin and eyes. — Paul Sisson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Hepatitis A case prompts National City treatment center warning," 6 July 2018 All of a sudden, her then-rising first-grader was reading 16 books a week. — Libby Solomon, baltimoresun.com, "Stopping the summer slide: Baltimore County libraries offer downtime reading program," 18 June 2019 All of a sudden, the game restarts, and the scene plays out again, only the man has more knowledge of what previously took place. — Brittany Vincent, Popular Mechanics, "The 10 Best Games of E3 2019," 15 June 2019 My second clue was seeing the energy in the room change; there was a sudden sense of urgency. — Donna Blass, Health.com, "I Had a Perfectly Normal EKG at My Check-Up—and the Next Day I Had a Heart Attack," 7 June 2019 The sudden escalation in trade tensions with China and Mexico sent another wave of fear through Wall Street last month. — Matt Egan, CNN, "Swings in market sentiment resemble pre-Lehman crisis, strategist warns," 6 June 2019

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