abrupt

[uh-bruhpt] / əˈbrʌpt /

ADJECTIVE

rude or brief in manner

Synonyms

WEAK

blunt brusque crude crusty curt direct discourteous gruff impetuous impolite matter-of-fact rough short snappy snippy uncivil ungracious

Antonyms

WEAK

at ease calm deliberate expansive gradual kind leisurely nice

ADJECTIVE

happening suddenly and unexpectedly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

hasty hurried precipitous quick sudden surprising unanticipated unexpected unforeseen

WEAK

jerky precipitate rushing unceremonious

Antonyms

STRONGEST

expected lazy slow

WEAK

at ease calm deliberate expansive gradual kind leisurely nice

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.

There was nervousness in the arena, but nobody predicted such an abrupt ending.

From BBC

I came to an abrupt halt, and Mami dived underneath to bear me up.

From Literature

The reason for the abrupt change wasn’t specified.

From The Wall Street Journal

Until recently, Zhang's abrupt sidelining was largely unexpected, due to his long military tenure and perceived closeness with Xi.

From Barron's

With a great whinnying, the herd came to an abrupt stop, rearing and snorting.

From Literature