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SUDDENLY
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adverb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Quickly and without warning
Example:
he stopped suddenly
Synonyms:
abruptly; dead; short; suddenly
Classified under:
Pertainym:
sudden (happening without warning or in a short space of time)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Happening unexpectedly
Example:
suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her side
Synonyms:
all of a sudden; of a sudden; suddenly
Classified under:
Sense 3
Meaning:
On impulse; without premeditation
Example:
he made up his mind suddenly
Synonyms:
on the spur of the moment; suddenly
Classified under:
Adverbs
Context examples:
A sharp pain that occurs when a muscle suddenly contracts (tightens up).
(Cramp, NCI Dictionary)
I was alarmed at midnight with the cries of many hundred people at my door; by which, being suddenly awaked, I was in some kind of terror.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
Acute coughs begin suddenly and usually last no more than 2 to 3 weeks.
(Cough, NIH)
Most heart attacks happen when a blood clot suddenly cuts off the hearts' blood supply, causing permanent heart damage.
(Coronary Artery Disease, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Testing the device's response to a suddenly applied stress.
(Device Impact Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)
"How much did you say it would cost?" he asked suddenly.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
An earthquake happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another.
(Earthquakes, Federal Emergency Management Agency)
You suddenly may be setting the date, even if you are wondering if you are ready.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out.
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
Acute back pain comes on suddenly and usually lasts from a few days to a few weeks.
(Back Pain, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
