sudden
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sudden
- /ˈsʌd.ən/
- [ˈsʌd.n̩]
Rhymes with -ʌdən
Where it comes from
From Middle English sodeyn, sodain, from Anglo-Norman sodein, from Old French sodain, subdain (“immediate, sudden”), from Vulgar Latin *subitānus (“sudden”), from Latin subitāneus (“sudden”), from subitus (“sudden", literally, "that which has come stealthily”), originally the past participle of subīre (“to come or go stealthily”), from sub (“under”) + īre (“go”). Doublet of subitaneous. Displaced native Old English fǣrlīċ.
adjective suddener · suddenest
-
Occurring quickly with little or no warning or expectation; instantly.
The sudden drop in temperature left everyone cold and confused.
Similar: abrupt
- Hastily prepared or employed; quick; rapid. Never was such a sudden scholar made.
-
Hasty; violent; rash; precipitate.
I have no joy of this contract to-night: / It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
Similar: hotheaded
Similar: precipitous, subitaneous, impetuous, impulsive, precipitant, precipitate, spontaneous, sudden, suddent · Opposite: gradual, unsudden, eventual
adverb more sudden · most sudden
- Suddenly. Herbs of every leaf that sudden flowered.
noun suddens
- An unexpected occurrence; a surprise.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: abrupt, explosive, unexpected, sharp, unforeseen, precipitate, precipitated, hasty, snappy, quick, rapid, precipitous, violent, intrusive, upsurge, shock
adjective
Similar: precipitous, subitaneous, impetuous, impulsive, precipitant, precipitate, spontaneous, sudden, suddent · Opposite: gradual, unsudden, eventual
Translations
Every language
adj happening quickly and with little or no warning
| Español | repentino, súbito, brusco, subitáneo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 급격한 geupgyeok-han |
| 日本語 | 突然の totsuzen no |
| 中文 | 突然 tūrán, 急劇 /急剧 jíjù |
| Kiswahili | ghafla |
| Português | repentino, súbito |
| Français | soudain, subit |
| Deutsch | plötzlich, jäh |
| Italiano | improvviso |
| Ελληνικά | ξαφνικός xafnikós |
| Română | subit, brusc, neașteptat, neprevăzut |
| Русский | неожи́данный neožídannyj, внеза́пный vnezápnyj |
| Tiếng Việt | thình lình, đột ngột |
| العربية | مُبَاغِت mubāḡit, مُفَاجِئ mufājiʔ |
| עברית | פתאומי pit'omi |
Talk about this word "sudden." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sudden. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. sudden. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sudden "sudden." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sudden.Cite this
@misc{sudden_2026,
title = {sudden},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sudden},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
