abrupt
/əˈbɹʌpt/ adjective, verb, noun
Forms abrupter abruptest abrupts abrupting abrupted
- adjective (obsolete, rare) Broken away (from restraint).
- adjective Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious. “The party came to an abrupt end when the parents of our host arrived.”
- adjective Curt in manner.
- adjective Having sudden transitions from one subject or state to another; unconnected; disjointed.
- adjective (obsolete) Broken off.
- adjective Extremely steep or craggy as if broken up; precipitous.
- adjective (botany) Suddenly terminating, as if cut off; truncate.
- verb (transitive, archaic) To tear off or asunder.
- verb To interrupt suddenly.
- noun (poetic) Something which is abrupt; an abyss.
Synonyms
sudden disconnected unexpected brusque rude uncivil impolite terse brisk blunt broken rough rugged precipitous sharp
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”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Broken off; very steep, or craggy, as rocks, precipices, banks; precipitous; steep; as, abrupt places. "Tumbling through ricks abrupt," Thomson.
- adjective Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious. "The cause of your abrupt departure." Shak.
- noun An abrupt place. [Poetic]
- verb To tear off or asunder. [Obs.] "Till death abrupts them." Sir T. Browne.
Etymology [L. abruptus, p. p. of abrumpere to break off; ab + rumpere to break. See Rupture.]
Etymology [L. abruptum.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “abrupt”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details