Dictionary

abrupt en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /əˈbɹʌpt/ (US)
• /æbˈɹʌpt/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

First attested in 1583. Borrowed from Latin abruptus (“broken off”), perfect passive participle of abrumpō (“break off”), formed from ab (“from, away from”) + rumpō (“to break”).

Meanings

1. (obsolete, rare) Broken away (from restraint).
2. Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious.
   • There was something in this abrupt allusion to the treasured and hidden past, that at once shocked and silenced Norbourne. He was annoyed to find that his heart's sweetest secret was in the possession of one so little likely to keep it;... 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Success”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 76:
   • 'Is it a slickstone?' she asks, and Maren snorts, an abrupt sound, bringing her hand up to her mouth. 2020 January 28, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, The Mercies, →ISBN, page 130:
   • The cause of your abrupt departure. 1592, William Shakespeare, Henry VI Part I, II-iii:
   • The party came to an abrupt end when the parents of our host arrived.
3. Curt in manner.
   • With no great disparity between them in point of years, they were, in every other respect, as unlike and far removed from each other as two men could well be. The one was soft-spoken, delicately made, precise, and elegant; the other, a burly square-built man, negligently dressed, rough and abrupt in manner, stern, and, in his present mood, forbidding both in look and speech. 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. Chapter 12.”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 301:
4. Having sudden transitions from one subject or state to another; unconnected; disjointed.
   • The abrupt style, which hath many breaches. 1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter:
5. (obsolete) Broken off.
6. Extremely steep or craggy as if broken up; precipitous.
   • To the north the towering scree-strewn slopes of Saddleback begin to draw nearer as we start the abrupt descent towards Keswick. 1961 October, ""Voyageur"", “The Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway”, in Trains Illustrated, page 601:
   • The mazy-running brook Forms a deep pool; this bank abrupt and high. a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:
7. Suddenly terminating, as if cut off; truncate.
   • Root oblong, blackish, nearly the thickness of the little finger, often growing obliquely; abrupt at the lower end, so as to appear as if bitten off, furnished with long whitish fibres. 1839, William Baxter, British Phænogamous Botany, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

unabrupt · abruptly · abruptic · abruptness · abrupt appearance theory · nonabrupt · abruption · theory of abrupt appearance · abrupt appearance

Synonyms

impolite · disconnected (without transition) · broken (precipitous) · uncivil · blunt (uncivil) · rude · brusque (uncivil) · rough (precipitous) · sudden (without time to prepare) · rugged (precipitous) · terse · unexpected (without transition) · brusque · brisk

Translations (133)

ru ре́зкий (curt in manner) · pt brusco (extremely steep) · pt rude (curt in manner) · io bruska (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · de wortkarg (curt in manner) · bg стръмен (extremely steep) · nl steil (extremely steep) · pt brusco (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · it inaspettato (without notice) · it brusco (without notice) · nb steil (extremely steep) · he תלול (extremely steep) · sh nȅnādan (without notice) · it sconnesso (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · es abrupto (botany: truncated) · nl afgeknot (botany: truncated) · pt abrupto (without notice) · it discontinua (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · ru неожи́данный (without notice) · el κοφτός (curt in manner) · be рапто́ўны (without notice) · mk ре́зок (curt in manner) · es brusco (curt in manner) · es brusco (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · fi töksähtävä (curt in manner) · fi äkillinen (without notice) · de einsiblig (curt in manner) · ca abrupte (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · de abgestumpft (botany: truncated) · da brat (extremely steep) · bg внезапен (without notice) · pt abrupto (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · ru бесцеремо́нный (curt in manner) · nb plutselig (without notice) · nb uventet (without notice) · de schroff (extremely steep) · el ασυνεχής (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · ro abrupt (extremely steep) · ga gearrbhéalach (curt in manner) · sh ȍsōran (curt in manner) · ar مُفَاجِئ (without notice) · bg рязък (without notice) · es brusco (extremely steep) · nl onsamenhangend (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · de jäh (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · nl bruusk (without notice) · it discontinuo (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · es repentino (without notice) · ar مُبَاغِت (without notice) · fi karkea (curt in manner) · el απόκρημνος (extremely steep) · mk о́стар (curt in manner) · es cortante (curt in manner) · la abruptus (extremely steep) · de steil (extremely steep) · pl nagłe (without notice) · de abrupt (extremely steep) · fr precipité (without notice) · la abruptus (without notice) · pt brusco (curt in manner) · io abrupta (extremely steep) · nb bratt (extremely steep) · it sconnessa (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · sh ȉznenādan (without notice) · fr abrupt (extremely steep) · nb plutselig (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · it brusco (extremely steep) · nl kortaf (curt in manner) · mt ta’ mod goff (curt in manner) · pt brusco (without notice) · mi ohotata (without notice) · ca abrupte (without notice) · ga tobann (without notice) · fi katkaistu (botany: truncated) · bg безцеремонен (curt in manner) · nb brå (curt in manner) · el αιφνίδιος (without notice) · nl bruusk (curt in manner) · ca abrupte (extremely steep) · es abrupto (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · mk на́гол (without notice) · da uformodet (without notice) · la abruptus (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · nb brå (without notice) · mi whawhati tata (without notice) · fr brusque (curt in manner) · ru обры́вистый (extremely steep) · el απότομος (curt in manner) · de abrupt (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · io bruska (curt in manner) · eo subita (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · mi whakatumatuma (curt in manner) · nb skarp (curt in manner) · nl plots (without notice) · mi mote (extremely steep) · mt f’daqqa (without notice) · sh nágao (without notice) · nl hortend (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · io abrupta (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · uk рапто́вий (without notice) · fr brusque (without notice) · ru круто́й (extremely steep) · te అకస్మాత్తుగా (without notice) · fi odottamaton (without notice) · cmn 突然 (without notice) · es súbito (without notice) · el απροσδόκητος (without notice) · it improvviso (without notice) · fi äkkijyrkkä (extremely steep) · mk стр́мен (extremely steep) · nl abrupt (without notice) · ru внеза́пный (without notice) · ota صارپ (extremely steep) · io eskarpa (extremely steep) · de abrupt (without notice) · mk нена́деен (without notice) · bg рязък (curt in manner) · de jäh (without notice) · da pludselig (without notice) · nb brå (extremely steep) · es abrupto (curt in manner) · pt abrupto (extremely steep) · nb brå (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · fi äkillinen (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · cy swta (curt in manner) · mi whawhati tata (having sudden transitions from one state to next) · de kurz angebunden (curt in manner) · de jäh (extremely steep) · el ξαφνικός (without notice) · mt ta’ malajr (without notice) · el απότομος (extremely steep) · es abrupto (without notice) · es abrupto (extremely steep)

abrupt en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /əˈbɹʌpt/ (US)
• /æbˈɹʌpt/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

First attested in 1583. Borrowed from Latin abruptus (“broken off”), perfect passive participle of abrumpō (“break off”), formed from ab (“from, away from”) + rumpō (“to break”).

Meanings

1. (poetic) Something which is abrupt; an abyss.
   • Over the vast abrupt. 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

Forms

Translations (1)

nl kloof (abyss)

abrupt en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əˈbɹʌpt/ (US)
• /æbˈɹʌpt/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

First attested in 1583. Borrowed from Latin abruptus (“broken off”), perfect passive participle of abrumpō (“break off”), formed from ab (“from, away from”) + rumpō (“to break”).

Meanings

1. (archaic, transitive) To tear off or asunder.
   • Till death abrupts them. 1642, [Thomas Browne], “(please specify the page)”, in Religio Medici, London: […] Andrew Crooke, →OCLC:
2. To interrupt suddenly.

Forms

Deriveds

abruptedly

Translations (7)

pt interromper (to interrupt suddenly) · fi erottaa (to tear off or asunder) · nl afbreken (to tear off or asunder) · pt abscindir (to tear off or asunder) · pt abscindir (to interrupt suddenly) · nl scheiden (to tear off or asunder) · fi keskeyttää (to interrupt suddenly)