abrupt
Americanadjective
-
sudden or unexpected.
an abrupt departure.
- Antonyms:
- gradual
-
curt or brusque in speech, manner, etc..
an abrupt reply.
- Antonyms:
- courteous, patient, deliberate
-
terminating or changing suddenly.
an abrupt turn in a road.
- Antonyms:
- gradual
-
having many sudden changes from one subject to another; lacking in continuity or smoothness.
an abrupt writing style.
- Synonyms:
- uneven, broken, discontinuous
-
steep; precipitous.
an abrupt descent.
-
Botany. truncate.
adjective
-
sudden; unexpected
-
brusque or brief in speech, manner, etc; curt
-
(of a style of writing or speaking) making sharp transitions from one subject to another; disconnected
-
precipitous; steep
-
botany shaped as though a part has been cut off; truncate
-
geology (of strata) cropping out suddenly
Related Words
See sudden.
Other Word Forms
- abruptly adverb
- abruptness noun
Etymology
Origin of abrupt
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin abruptus “broken off”(past participle of abrumpere ), equivalent to ab- ab- + -rup- “break” + -tus past participle suffix
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.
Ominous headlines and abrupt u-turns about trade wars and actual wars make executives more cautious too.
Like other countries around the region, Iraq has become engulfed in the war, bringing to an abrupt end a period of nascent stability.
From Barron's
As one of the corporation's high profile names, his abrupt departure is a fresh blow for the BBC - the last for the current director general Tim Davie, who leaves the corporation later this week.
From BBC
Deadwood’s abrupt silence felt, to some, like a terrible omen.
From Literature
North Korea's abrupt border closure in 2020 stranded many of them abroad for years, and Pyongyang later beefed up defences along the frontier to dissuade illegal crossings.
From Barron's
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.
