Link Centre Dictionary

sudden

sud·den

UK/ˈsʌd.ən/ US/ˈsʌd.n̩/ common

adjective

1.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

  • “a sudden storm”
  • “a sudden decision”
  • “a sudden cure”
Antonyms
Similar

Origin

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.

Phrases

  • a quick drop and a sudden stop
  • a short drop and a sudden stop
  • all of a sudden
  • all on a sudden
  • all the sudden
  • sudden arrhythmic death syndrome
  • sudden death
  • sudden death syndrome

Related words

Word family

See also

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.