2 meanings
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1 —as in:
an abrupt change
Definition
sudden and unexpected- The bus came to an abrupt stop.
abrupt = sudden and unexpected
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- The weather changed abruptly at about noon.
- "Heck," said Atticus abruptly, "that was a switchblade you were waving."Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Mr. Ludsbury loomed abruptly out of a background of shrubbery.John Knowles -- A Separate Peace
- His face went hard and he turned away abruptly to the window.Madeline Miller -- Circe
- She stood up so abruptly she knocked over a bottle of india ink, and ran into the bedroom.Jeannette Walls -- The Glass Castle
- The men fell silent, piecing together the rumors of one giant bomb vaporizing a city and the abrupt end to the war.Laura Hillenbrand -- Unbroken - adapted for young adults
- She must have seen something of this in my expression, for she turned abruptly away and ran up the porch steps into the house.F. Scott Fitzgerald -- The Great Gatsby
- "What did you guys do on your date?" she asked abruptly.Kiera Cass -- The Selection
- The movement was so abrupt, Charles had no time to react.Tara Westover -- Educated
abruptly = suddenly
abruptly = suddenly
abruptly = suddenly
abruptly = suddenly
abruptly = suddenly
abrupt = sudden and unexpected
abruptly = suddenly
abruptly = suddenly
abrupt = sudden
2 —as in:
she is abrupt
Definition
rude or unfriendly because of using too few words or moving too quickly- She has an abrupt personality.
abrupt = rude or unfriendly because of using too few words or moving too quickly
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- Try not to be so abrupt with the people you manage. It may seem quicker, but we're losing talented people because they don't like working with you.
- I had assumed after my abruptness last night that Telemachus would keep his distance.Madeline Miller -- Circe
- Thank you for your words, he says abruptly and leads Uhmma away to the back row of chairs.An Na -- A Step from Heaven
- I didn't pause for her reaction, even to see if I'd hurt her feelings with my abruptness.Stephenie Meyer -- Eclipse
- The nature of the Service precluded elaborate farewells and the presentation of gold watches, but even by these standards Leamas' departure seemed abrupt.John Le Carre -- The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
- Her manner was abrupt.Daphne du Maurier -- Rebecca
abrupt = rude or unfriendly because of using too few words or moving too quickly
abruptness = rudeness or unfriendliness caused by using too few words or moving too quickly
(Editor's note: The suffix "-ness" converts an adjective to a noun that means state or degree of. This is the same pattern you see in words like darkness, kindness, and coolness.)
abruptly = in a manner that is rude or unfriendly because of using too few words or moving too quickly
abruptness = done in a rude or unfriendly manner because of using too few words or moving too quickly
(Editor's note: The suffix "-ness" converts an adjective to a noun that means state or degree of. This is the same pattern you see in words like darkness, kindness, and coolness.)
abrupt = done in a rude or unfriendly manner
abrupt = rude or unfriendly because of using too few words or moving too quickly