sudden
English meaning: Sudden
Definition
Happening quickly and without warning.
Example
“A sudden noise woke the whole house in the middle of the night.”
Another example: “A sudden storm forced the players off the pitch.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Everyday adjective for events that happen fast and without warning ('a sudden noise', 'a sudden change'). The phrase 'all of a sudden' means suddenly. Attributive mostly.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Latin 'subitaneus' (sudden), via Old French 'sodain'.
Related Words
Common Collocations
- all of a sudden
- sudden change
- sudden death
- sudden movement
- sudden increase
Word Forms
sudden; suddenly (adv); suddenness (n)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B