US /ˈsʌd.ən/
adj adv noun Freq #1838

Meanings

  1. 1
    adj

    Happening quickly and without warning.

    A sudden storm blew our solar panels off the roof.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
Opposites
eventualgradualunsudden
Word family
Derived forms suddenismsuddenlysuddennesssuddentysuddenwovensupersudden

Common collocations

Etymology

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.

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