Minimal pairs
adj
adv
noun
Freq #1838
Meanings
-
1
adj
Happening quickly and without warning.
A sudden storm blew our solar panels off the roof.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
1
adj
· happening quickly and...
abrupt
Word family
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.
View etymology graph ->