sudden

adjective

ˈsə-dᵊn How to pronounce sudden (audio)
Definition of suddennext
as in unexpected
not expected the sudden snowstorm resulted in thousands of evening commuters abandoning their cars on impassable highways

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sudden Billionaire Jared Isaacman has suggested his sudden removal from the nomination process to be President Donald Trump's new NASA administrator may have been a way to punish Elon Musk. —Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025 Rearview cameras reduce reversing crash rates, says the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, thus a sudden loss of rearview camera accessibility could increase reversing crash rates. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 5 June 2025 Then, while transiting your eighth house of intimate affairs, Mars will clash with Uranus in your fifth house of love, pushing to embrace sudden shifts around your approach to intimacy and personal fulfillment. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 4 June 2025 Orthostatic Hypotension Orthostatic hypotension is a sudden drop in blood pressure that develops when a person goes from lying down to sitting or standing. —Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sudden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sudden
  1. unexpected
  2. abrupt
Adjective
  • But during the appearance, an unexpected guest also got some attention from those gathered below!
    — Jillian Frankel, People.com, 27 May 2025
  • In the middle of a seven-minute piece interpreted in an appropriately serious manner, Urie elicited unexpected giggles from the audience.
    — Daniel Vaillancourt, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Definition of unexpected
Adjective
  • But an abrupt denial of funding now could carry devastating consequences — not just for states on the front lines, but on the nation.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025
  • Gradually ease off the accelerator and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
    — Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 1 June 2025
Definition of abrupt

Phrases Containing sudden

Browse Nearby Words

suctions
sudden
sudden death
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sudden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sudden. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on sudden

Nglish: Translation of sudden for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Some Data About 'Datum'

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All