 |
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Sudden \Sud"den\, adverb Suddenly; unexpectedly. [R.]
Herbs of every leaf that sudden flowered. --Milton.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Sudden \Sud"den\, noun An unexpected occurrence; a surprise.
{All of a sudden}, {On a sudden}, {Of a sudden}, sooner than was expected; without the usual preparation; suddenly.
How art thou lost! how on a sudden lost! --Milton.
He withdrew his opposition all of a sudden. --Thackeray.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Sudden \Sud"den\, adjective [OE. sodian, sodein, OF. sodain, sudain, F. soudain, L. subitaneus, fr. subitus sudden, that has come unexpectedly, p. p. of subire to come on, to steal upon; sub under, secretly + ire to go. See {Issue}, and cf. {Subitaneous}.]
1. Happening without previous notice or with very brief notice; coming unexpectedly, or without the common preparation; immediate; instant; speedy. ''O sudden wo!'' --Chaucer. ''For fear of sudden death.'' --Shak.
Sudden fear troubleth thee. --Job xxii. 10.
2. Hastly prepared or employed; quick; rapid.
Never was such a sudden scholar made. --Shak.
The apples of Asphaltis, appearing goodly to the sudden eye. --Milton.
3. Hasty; violent; rash; precipitate. [Obs.] --Shak.
Syn: Unexpected; unusual; abrupt; unlooked-for. -- {Sud"den*ly}, adverb -- {Sud"den*ness}, n.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
sudden
adjective: happening without warning or in a short space of time; "a sudden storm"; "a sudden decision"; "a sudden cure" [ant: {gradual}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
60 Moby Thesaurus words for "sudden": aback, abrupt, abruptly, accelerated, breakneck, breathless, brisk, electrifying, expeditious, extraordinary, fast, fleet, forthwith, hasty, headlong, hurried, immediate, impatient, impetuous, improbable, impulsive, more than expected, nerve-shattering, out-of-the-way, overhasty, panting, past expectation, precipitant, precipitate, precipitous, quick, rapid, rash, reckless, rushing, shocking, short, speedy, startling, suddenly, surprising, swift, unannounced, unanticipated, unanticipatedly, unaware, undivined, unexpected, unexpectedly, unforeseeable, unforeseen, unguessed, unheralded, unhoped for, unlooked-for, unpredictable, unpredicted, unprepared for, unwonted, without warning
 |
Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |