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abrupt

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of abrupt

1 being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner

  • the policemanʼs abrupt manner discouraged me from trying to claim that I hadnʼt seen the red light
Synonyms of abrupt

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

gruff, rough, snappish

candid, direct, forthright, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, point-blank, straightforward, straight-out

artless, discourteous, disrespectful, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, insensitive, rude, tactless, undiplomatic

brief, closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, terse, tight-lipped

earnest, honest, sincere

coarse, crass, crude, low, uncouth, vulgar
Near Antonyms of abrupt

civil, considerate, courteous, diplomatic, gracious, polite, politic, smooth, suave, tactful

loquacious, talkative, voluble

long-winded, prolix, verbose

courtly, cultivated, gallant, genteel, polished, refined
Antonyms of abrupt

circuitous, mealymouthed

2 having an incline approaching the perpendicular

  • the gentle, rolling hills gradually give way to high mountains with abrupt sides
Synonyms of abrupt

bold, precipitous, sheer, steep
Words Related to abrupt

perpendicular, plumb, straight, vertical

craggy, hillocky, hilly, mountainous, scarped

angled, canted, cocked, heeled, inclined, listed, slanted, sloped, tilted, tipped
Near Antonyms of abrupt

gentle, gradual, moderate, soft

even, flat, flush, horizontal, level, plane, smooth, unruffled, unwrinkled
Antonyms of abrupt

easy

3 not expected

  • his abrupt reappearance seems to have caught everyone off guard
Synonyms of abrupt

sudden, unanticipated, unexpected, unforeseen, unlooked-for
Words Related to abrupt

unintended, unplanned

improbable, unlikely

startling, surprising
Near Antonyms of abrupt

predicted, prophesied

unsurprising
Antonyms of abrupt

anticipated, expected, foreseen

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

Learn More about abrupt

  1. See words that rhyme with abrupt Dictionary: Definition of abrupt Spanish Central: Translation of abrupt Nglish: Translation of abrupt for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of abrupt for Arabic speakers

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