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sudden
a quick drop and a sudden stop
Death from either falling from a great height or from hanging. I wouldn't get too close to the edge of that cliff if I were you, you'd have a pretty quick drop and a sudden stop.
a (sudden) rush of blood (to the head)
A sudden feeling of excitement or anger that causes one to act in unexpected ways. It must have been a sudden rush of blood to the head that made Gary lash out at Ron, because he's usually so calm.
all of a sudden
Unexpectedly and abruptly; suddenly. I was startled when the fire alarm went off all of a sudden. I thought Laura and I were friends, but all of a sudden, she stopped talking to me.
all of a sudden
suddenly. All of a sudden lightning struck the tree we were sitting under. I felt a sharp pain in my side all of a sudden.
all of a sudden
happening or done quickly and without any warning all at once All of a sudden we heard a loud explosion that shook the building.
all of a sudden
Entirely without warning, abruptly, as in
All of a sudden the lights went out. In Shakespeare's day the common phrase was
of a sudden, the word
all being added in the late 1600s. Also see
all at once, def. 2.
sudden death
mod. having to do with something short, quick, and decisive. The game ended in a sudden death playoff.
all of a sudden
Very quickly and unexpectedly; suddenly.