Synonyms of sudden

sudden

adjective

ˈsə-dᵊn 

as in unexpected

not expected

the sudden snowstorm resulted in thousands of evening commuters abandoning their cars on impassable highways

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• anticipated
• foreseen
• expected
• predicted
• prophesied
• unsurprising

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sudden contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sudden are abrupt, headlong, impetuous, and precipitate. While all these words mean "showing undue haste or unexpectedness," sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action.

flew into a sudden rage

When might abrupt be a better fit than sudden?

Although the words abrupt and sudden have much in common, abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony.

an abrupt refusal

When is it sensible to use headlong instead of sudden?

While in some cases nearly identical to sudden, headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought.

a headlong flight from arrest

When is impetuous a more appropriate choice than sudden?

The meanings of impetuous and sudden largely overlap; however, impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness.

an impetuous lover proposing marriage

Where would precipitate be a reasonable alternative to sudden?

While the synonyms precipitate and sudden are close in meaning, precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action.

the army's precipitate withdrawal

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sudden

Shannon McDade's boyfriend got hot all of a sudden. —David Oliver, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025

That is when rent prices—as well as home prices—exploded amid a sudden surge in demand as the pandemic triggered a wave of people moving from bigger cities to smaller towns and the suburbs or looking to live on their own. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025

That somehow or other, all of a sudden, their request for a merger or for some other transaction was now slowed for a year or two years or three years, causing irreparable harm, but with no recourse that the company would have. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025

And then all of a sudden, the pick. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025

Phrases Containing sudden

• all of a sudden

Video

'All over sudden' vs. 'All of a sudden'

Figuring it out at once