Word
sudden
Phoneticssud·den, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsədən/
UK/sˈʌdən/
Definitions
01happening quickly
B1 · Intermediate
adj. happening or done quickly and without warning.
adj. occurring, arriving, or performed unexpectedly and without prior notice.
日本語:急※
“A sudden rain shower caught the hikers without their jackets.”
“The sudden resignation of the chief executive left the board of directors scrambling to find a suitable interim replacement before the markets opened.”
Pitfall
The car made a suddenly stop.
The car made a sudden stop.
Use the adjective 'sudden' to describe a noun like 'stop'. Use the adverb 'suddenly' to describe an action.
Synonyms
02all of a sudden
B1 · Intermediate
adv. used in the phrase 'all of a sudden' to mean 'suddenly'.
adv. functioning as an adverbial component, almost exclusively within the idiomatic prepositional phrase 'all of a sudden'.
日本語:突然※
“All of a sudden, the lights went out and the room was dark.”
“The engine began to make a rhythmic clicking sound and then, all of a sudden, the entire vehicle shuddered and came to a halt.”
Antonyms
03literary suddenly
C2 · Proficiency Literary
adv. a poetic way to say 'suddenly'.
adv. used as a flat adverb in poetic or highly literary contexts to denote an abrupt occurrence.
日本語:突然※
“Sudden, the wind changed and the sails began to flap.”
“Sudden there came a tapping, as of some one gently rapping at my chamber door.”
Synonyms
04an unexpected event
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic
n. a surprise or something that happens without warning.
n. an unexpected or abrupt occurrence; now largely restricted to the fixed phrase 'on a sudden'.
“The news came upon them on a sudden.”
“The arrival of the messenger on a sudden threw the entire household into a state of frantic preparation.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sudden” in context.
Verb
01. make sudden
“Try not to make sudden movements when you are near the horse.”
verb + adj
02. seem sudden
“The announcement might seem sudden, but we have been planning this for months.”
verb + adj
03. sudden change
“A sudden change in temperature can make you feel unwell.”
adj + noun
04. sudden death
“The community was shocked by the sudden death of the local doctor.”
adj + noun
05. sudden impact
“The car was badly damaged by the sudden impact with the wall.”
adj + noun
Adjective
06. quite sudden
“His decision to quit his job was quite sudden and surprised everyone.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. all of a sudden
“We were walking in the park when, all of a sudden, it started to rain.”
idiom
08. a sudden burst of
“A sudden burst of energy helped her finish the race in first place.”
09. a sudden realization that
“I had a sudden realization that I had left my keys inside the house.”
10. bring to a sudden halt
“The strike brought production at the factory to a sudden halt.”
11. incorporation sudden
12. sudden challenge
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/sudden
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0