abruptness
abruptness — noun
1. the state in which something takes place without warning, leaving little or no t
the state in which something takes place without warning, leaving little or no time to get ready
Iker was shocked by the abruptness of the storm that ended their picnic.
pattern: the abruptness of [event/noun]
The abruptness of the movie's ending left the audience confused.
Nia had not expected the abruptness with which her summer job came to an end.
The abruptness of the snowfall forced the school to close for two days.
Omar noticed the abruptness of the road's end where the cliff began.
- suddenness
more neutral and slightly more common; focuses on speed rather than the surprising element
- unexpectedness
emphasises surprise rather than speed
- gradualness
the opposite quality of happening slowly and predictably
用法筆記
Common with 'of' + a noun describing an event or change: the abruptness of the decision / the abruptness of her departure.
常見錯誤
2. a way of speaking or behaving that feels dismissive because the words or actions
a way of speaking or behaving that feels dismissive because the words or actions are much too short and direct for the situation
The abruptness of the receptionist's reply made Brooke feel unwelcome at the clinic.
pattern: the abruptness of [person]'s [speech noun]
Ramón was hurt by the abruptness of his coworker's response during the team meeting.
Lakshmi found the abruptness of the waiter's tone rude and unnecessary.
Haruto tried to ignore the abruptness in his manager's emails about the project.
Renata apologised for the abruptness of her answer on the phone.
- curtness
narrower — specifically about using few words; the most direct synonym for this sense
- brusqueness
slightly stronger, suggesting a hurried and almost impatient manner
- politeness
the behaviour of being respectful and considerate in speech
- warmth
a friendly and welcoming manner, opposite of cold brevity
用法筆記
Used for spoken or written communication. The behaviour feels rude because the person does not use polite expressions or give explanations.
常見錯誤
abruptness — adjective
- abruptnesspositive
- more abruptnesscomparative
- most abruptnesssuperlative
1. happening or ending so quickly that you are surprised and have no time to prepar
happening or ending so quickly that you are surprised and have no time to prepare
The car came to an abrupt stop when a deer ran across the road.
collocation: abrupt stop
Beatrix made an abrupt decision to leave the party after the argument.
collocation: abrupt decision
The hike ended with an abrupt drop in temperature as the sun went down.
Valentina noticed an abrupt change in her grandmother's health last winter.
There was an abrupt silence when Takeshi walked into the room.
- sudden
more neutral; 'abrupt' adds a slight sense of being jarring or unnatural
- unexpected
focuses on the surprise factor rather than speed
用法筆記
Common with nouns like stop, change, departure, end, silence. Describes events that break a normal pattern without warning.
常見錯誤
2. saying so few words in a conversation that you seem rude, unfriendly, or annoyed
saying so few words in a conversation that you seem rude, unfriendly, or annoyed
Mark gave an abrupt reply and walked away from the conversation.
collocation: abrupt reply
The professor's abrupt tone made the student afraid to ask another question.
collocation: abrupt tone
Ilan was known for his abrupt manner when he was busy with work.
Brooke received an abrupt email that did not even say hello.
Selim regretted his abrupt answer as soon as the words left his mouth.
用法筆記
Describes speech or communication style. Distinguish from sense 1 (SUDDEN): a person can speak abruptly (curtly) without anything being sudden.
常見錯誤
3. lacking a smooth or natural connection between one part and the next, so that mo
lacking a smooth or natural connection between one part and the next, so that movement or progress feels broken
The music had an abrupt shift from one melody to another without warning.
collocation: abrupt shift
Readers complained about the abrupt transitions between chapters in the novel.
collocation: abrupt transition
The dancer's movements were too abrupt for the slow piece of music.
Kwame found the abrupt change of topic confusing during the lecture.
There was an abrupt break in the recording where the tape had snapped.
- disconnected
broader — describes things that do not fit together smoothly
- jerky
more physical — describes movement that is not fluid
用法筆記
Used for creative works (music, writing, film) and physical movement. Describes a lack of smoothness that feels jarring, often unintentional.
4. having a physical end or boundary that looks sharp, as though it has been sliced
having a physical end or boundary that looks sharp, as though it has been sliced away
The cliff face was abrupt where a large piece had fallen away.
used for physical landscape features
Allison drew an abrupt line across the page to mark where the text ended.
The abrupt edge of the broken plate cut Indra's finger when she picked it up.
The garden ended in an abrupt drop down to the river below.
Imran noticed the abrupt line where the forest stopped and the field began.
用法筆記
The least common sense. Typically used for physical shapes, edges, and landscapes rather than events or behaviour. Distinguish from sense 1 (SUDDEN) which describes timing; this sense describes physical appearance.