suddenly
Britishadverb
Explanation
If you're walking on a crowded street and you stop suddenly — abruptly and without warning — somebody walking behind you may bump into you. If you experience love at first sight, you've suddenly fallen in love. If you're driving at night and a deer jumps out in front of you, you might suddenly have to swerve to avoid it. Suddenly is the kind of adverb you might use a lot if you're describing the plot of an action movie, a mystery novel, or any story in which lots of unexpected things happen.
Vocabulary lists containing suddenly
A Need for Speed: Synonyms for "Fast"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In other parts of Kharita, the water crept suddenly at night, reaching farmers' homes.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
As if California were to suddenly become akin to Enver Hoxha’s Albania and Brin would be forced to take meals of beetroot and groats in the collective’s cafeteria.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
Dabbawalas who once served 20 or 25 office workers a day were suddenly left with only a handful of customers - some with none at all.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
Instead, they can suddenly shift into a much more sensitive state after crossing critical climate thresholds.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
I ask Rose suddenly, again halting the conversation that had only just begun to pick up again.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
