Suddenly

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈsʌdn̩li/

Definitions

1. In an unexpected and immediate manner, happening quickly without warning or advance notice
2. In a rapid and unforeseen way, occurring without prior indication or anticipation
3. In an abrupt and unexpected fashion, taking place instantaneously without any prior warning or foreknowledge

Etymology: "Sudden" and "suddenly" are an unusually tangled pair: the adverb is formed by adding "-ly" to "sudden", but the adjective itself was once more spread out in English than it is now. In Middle English the adverb appeared in many spellings, including "sodenly", "sodeynly", "sodeinliche" and "sodaynlyche", showing how loosely scribes spelled it before standard spelling settled. The "-ly" ending is the common English suffix that turns an adjective into an adverb of manner, so "suddenly" means, literally, "in a sudden way". The word thus carries its root idea of something arriving without warning, and the adverb has always meant the same thing: an event happening abruptly, with no advance notice.

Synonyms: unexpectedly, instantly

Antonyms: gradually, slowly