Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Happening or done quickly and without warning: Describes an event, change, or action that occurs unexpectedly and in a very brief period of time.
   • Characterized by abruptness: Describes something that is sharp, steep, or immediate in its onset or nature.

Usage

• The adjective "sudden" is used to modify nouns, indicating their unexpected and immediate nature.
• It is often used with events, changes, movements, or decisions.
• Common collocations include: sudden change, sudden movement, sudden death, sudden impact, sudden noise, sudden stop.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • There was a sudden loud noise from the kitchen.
  • Her sudden resignation surprised everyone in the company.
  • The road takes a sudden turn to the left.
  • He felt a sudden pain in his chest.

Advanced Usage

• "All of a sudden": This is an adverbial phrase meaning "suddenly" or "unexpectedly." It is used to describe how an action occurs.
  • The car stopped all of a sudden.
  • All of a sudden, the lights went out.

Variants and Related Words

• Suddenly (adverb): In a sudden manner.
  • The weather changed suddenly.
• Suddenness (noun): The quality of being sudden.
  • The suddenness of the attack left them stunned.

Synonyms

• Abrupt: Very sudden and often unpleasant.
• Unexpected: Not expected or anticipated.
• Immediate: Occurring or done at once; instant.

Antonyms

• Gradual: Taking place or progressing slowly over a period of time.
• Expected: Regarded as likely to happen.
• Foreseen: Known beforehand.

Idioms and Phrases

• Sudden death: In sports, an overtime period where the first score wins, ending the game immediately. More generally, an unexpected death.
  • The match went into a sudden death overtime.
• (Come as a) sudden shock: To be very surprising and upsetting.
  • The news of his accident came as a sudden shock.

Adjective

1. happening without warning or in a short space of time
   • a sudden storm
   • a sudden decision
   • a sudden cure