sud ‧ den ‧ ly S1 W1 /ˈsʌdnli/ BrE AmE adverb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ suddenness ; adverb : ↑ suddenly ; adjective : ↑ sudden ]
quickly and unexpectedly:
I suddenly realized that there was someone following me.
George died very suddenly.
[sentence adverb]
Suddenly, the eagle opened its wings.
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THESAURUS
▪ suddenly used when something happens very quickly and unexpectedly:
Suddenly, there was a loud bang.
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I suddenly realized what had happened.
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Her husband died suddenly at the age of 64.
▪ all of a sudden suddenly – used especially in stories or descriptions of past events:
All of a sudden, he takes a gun out of his pocket and shoots.
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He just all of a sudden decided to leave.
▪ without warning suddenly and with no signs that it was going to happen – used about bad or dangerous things:
One day, he collapsed without warning.
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Then, without warning, her husband left her.
▪ out of the blue suddenly and unexpectedly – used especially when you hear from someone you have not seen for a long time or when someone tells you something that surprises you:
She turned up on my doorstep, out of the blue.
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The offer had come completely out of the blue.
▪ at short notice British English , on short notice American English suddenly, so that there is not much time to prepare or change arrangements:
He came into the side at short notice, when another player was injured.
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Occasionally, tours may have to be cancelled at short notice.
▪ on the spur of the moment used when talking about things you decide to do suddenly, without planning them beforehand:
We all buy things on the spur of the moment.
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On the spur of the moment, I decided to go and talk to her about it.