all a sudden
n adjective
1.
happening, coming, made, or done quickly, without warning, or unexpectedly: a sudden attack.
2.
occurring without transition from the previous form, state, etc.; abrupt: a sudden turn.
3.
impetuous; rash.
4.
Archaic. quickly made or provided.
5.
Obsolete, unpremeditated.
adverb
6.
Literary. suddenly.
00:10
All a sudden
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
noun
Idioms 7.
Obsolete. an unexpected occasion or occurrence.
8.
all of a sudden, without warning; unexpectedly; suddenly. Also, on a sudden.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English sodain (adj. and adv.) < Middle French < Latin subitāneus going or coming stealthily, equivalent to subit(us) sudden, taking by surprise (see subito) + -āneus composite adj. suffix, equivalent to -ān(us) -an + -eus -eous
1250–1300; Middle English sodain (adj. and adv.) < Middle French < Latin subitāneus going or coming stealthily, equivalent to subit(us) sudden, taking by surprise (see subito) + -āneus composite adj. suffix, equivalent to -ān(us) -an + -eus -eous
Related forms
sud·den·ly, adverb
sud·den·ness, noun
Synonyms
1, 2. unforeseen, unanticipated. Sudden, unexpected, abrupt describe acts, events, or conditions for which there has been no preparation or gradual approach. Sudden refers to the quickness of an occurrence, although the event may have been expected: a sudden change in the weather. Unexpected emphasizes the lack of preparedness for what occurs or appears: an unexpected crisis. Abrupt characterizes something involving a swift adjustment; the effect is often unpleasant, unfavorable, or the cause of dismay: He had an abrupt change in manner. The road came to an abrupt end.
1, 2. unforeseen, unanticipated. Sudden, unexpected, abrupt describe acts, events, or conditions for which there has been no preparation or gradual approach. Sudden refers to the quickness of an occurrence, although the event may have been expected: a sudden change in the weather. Unexpected emphasizes the lack of preparedness for what occurs or appears: an unexpected crisis. Abrupt characterizes something involving a swift adjustment; the effect is often unpleasant, unfavorable, or the cause of dismay: He had an abrupt change in manner. The road came to an abrupt end.
Antonyms
1, 2. gradual, foreseen.
1, 2. gradual, foreseen.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To all a sudden
Collins
World English Dictionary
sudden (ˈsʌdən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | occurring or performed quickly and without warning |
| 2. | marked by haste; abrupt |
| 3. | rare rash; precipitate |
| —n | |
| 4. | archaic an abrupt occurrence or the occasion of such an occurrence (in the phrase on a sudden) |
| 5. | all of a sudden without warning; unexpectedly |
| —adv | |
| 6. | poetic chiefly without warning; suddenly |
| [C13: via French from Late Latin subitāneus, from Latin subitus unexpected, from subīre to happen unexpectedly, from sub- secretly + īre to go] | |
| 'suddenness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
sudden
late 13c., perhaps via Anglo-Fr. sodein, from O.Fr. subdain "immediate, sudden," from V.L. *subitanus, variant of L. subitaneus "sudden," from subitus "come or go up stealthily," from sub "up to" + ire "come, go." Phrase all of a sudden first attested 1680s, earlier of a sudayn (1590s), upon the soden
(1550s). Sudden death, tie-breakers in sports, first recorded 1927; earlier in ref. to coin tosses (1834).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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