abruptly

abruptly — adverb

1. if something happens abruptly, it happens all at once and without any warning or

1.副詞B2
釋義

if something happens abruptly, it happens all at once and without any warning or signs that it was about to begin, often leaving people surprised or unsettled.

例句

The music abruptly stopped when the power went out across the village.

abruptly + verb showing sudden change of state

Yusuf stood up abruptly and walked out of the meeting room.

verb + abruptly modifying a physical action

同義詞
  • suddenly

    more neutral; abruptly stresses the jolt or roughness of the change

  • unexpectedly

    focuses on surprise, not on speed; abruptly carries both

  • all of a sudden

    informal phrase; abruptly is a single-word, more written-style choice

反義詞
  • gradually

    describes a slow, smooth change rather than an instant one

  • smoothly

    stresses the absence of jolts that abruptly implies

文法句型

verb + abruptly

abruptly + verb

用法筆記

Most often used with verbs of stopping, changing, ending, or moving (stop, end, halt, leave, turn). Position is flexible: it can sit before or after the verb, but native writers slightly prefer it directly after the verb in past-tense narrative.

常見錯誤

❌The rain abruptly.
✅The rain stopped abruptly.
💡abruptly is an adverb and needs a verb to modify.
❌He gave an abruptly answer.
✅He gave an abrupt answer.
💡before a noun, use the adjective 'abrupt', not the adverb.

2. in a short, cold manner that sounds unfriendly or impolite, usually because the

2.副詞C1
釋義

in a short, cold manner that sounds unfriendly or impolite, usually because the speaker says only the bare minimum and shows no warmth or patience.

例句

Mrs. Chen answered the customer abruptly and turned back to her phone.

verb of speaking + abruptly conveying rude curtness

'I'm busy,' Daniel said abruptly, without even looking up from his laptop.

say + abruptly with a short, cold reply

同義詞
  • curtly

    very close in meaning; curtly is the most natural one-word match for this sense

  • brusquely

    stresses a rough, no-nonsense tone; slightly more formal in feel

  • sharply

    adds a note of anger or criticism that abruptly does not always carry

反義詞
  • politely

    the standard opposite when describing how someone speaks

  • warmly

    stresses the friendly tone that this sense of abruptly lacks

文法句型

verb of speaking + abruptly

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense modifies verbs of speaking or replying (say, answer, reply, snap, cut off) and carries a clear social judgement that the speaker was impolite. In sense 1, the same adverb only describes timing, with no comment on manners.

常見錯誤

❌She smiled at me abruptly.
✅She answered me abruptly.
💡this sense pairs with verbs of speaking, not with friendly actions like smiling.