adverb

suddenly

suddenly, unexpectedly, abruptly

Suddenly, it started to rain.

Suddenly, it started to rain.

He suddenly felt very tired.

He suddenly felt very tired.

((adv.)) quickly and unexpectedly Suddenly, the lights went out.

Synonyms: unexpectedly, abruptly; Antonyms: gradually, slowly

From Middle English 'sodein' (sudden) plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. It originates from Old French 'sodein'.

Think of a 'sudden' sound, like a door slamming shut, to remember the unexpected nature of the word.

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