suddenly: meaning, pronunciation and examples

/ˈsʌdənli/·SUD-un-lee

Suddenly (adverb) means quickly and without warning.

What does “suddenly” mean?

  1. 1

    adverbquickly and without warning

    Suddenly, the lights went out.

Suddenly at a glance

Part of speech
adverb
CEFR level
A2 (elementary)
Pronunciation
/ˈsʌdənli/ · SUD-un-lee

How to use “suddenly” correctly

“All of a sudden” means the same as “suddenly”.

Synonyms (similar meaning)

  • unexpectedly
  • all of a sudden

Antonyms (opposite meaning)

  • gradually

Word family

  • sudden

“suddenly” is on these word lists

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