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abrupt

An abrupt decision is one you make suddenly. An abrupt halt is one the Road Runner comes to when reaching an abrupt drop-off—you'd hear brakes squealing.

Because being abrupt with someone is often a way of showing them that you are angry, you often apologize for the appearance of it. "I'm sorry I was abrupt. I was rushing to get to class." The root of abrupt is Latin rumpere "to break," which also gives us rupture "break" and interrupt "break into."

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: abrupt

1
adj
exceedingly sudden and unexpected
2
adj
surprisingly and unceremoniously brusque in manner
3
adj
extremely steep
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: abrupt
1

adj exceedingly sudden and unexpected

“came to an abrupt stop”
“an abrupt change in the weather”
Synonyms
sudden
happening without warning or in a short space of time

adj marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions

abrupt prose”
Synonyms:
disconnected
disconnected, staccato
(music) marked by or composed of disconnected parts or sounds; cut short crisply
2

adj surprisingly and unceremoniously brusque in manner

“an abrupt reply”
Synonyms
discourteous
showing no courtesy; rude
3

adj extremely steep

“an abrupt canyon”
Synonyms:
precipitous, sharp
steep
having a sharp inclination
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