abrupt

English

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”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈbɹʌpt/, /æbˈɹʌpt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌpt

Adjective

abrupt (comparative more abrupt or abrupter, superlative most abrupt or abruptest)

1. (obsolete, rare) Broken away (from restraint). [Attested only in the late 16th century.]
2. Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious. [First attested in the late 16th century.]

   The party came to an abrupt end when the parents of our host arrived.

   • 1592, William Shakespeare, Henry VI Part I, II-iii:

     The cause of your abrupt departure.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Success”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 76:

     There was something in this abrupt allusion to the treasured and hidden past, that at once shocked and silenced Norbourne. He was annoyed to find that his heart's sweetest secret was in the possession of one so little likely to keep it;...

   • 2020 January 28, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, The Mercies‎^[1], →ISBN, page 130:

     'Is it a slickstone?' she asks, and Maren snorts, an abrupt sound, bringing her hand up to her mouth.

3. Curt in manner. [First attested in the late 16th century.]

   Synonyms: brusque, rude, uncivil, impolite, terse

   • 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. Chapter 12.”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 301:

     With no great disparity between them in point of years, they were, in every other respect, as unlike and far removed from each other as two men could well be. The one was soft-spoken, delicately made, precise, and elegant; the other, a burly square-built man, negligently dressed, rough and abrupt in manner, stern, and, in his present mood, forbidding both in look and speech.

4. Having sudden transitions from one subject or state to another; unconnected; disjointed. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
   • 1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter‎^[2]:

     The abrupt style, which hath many breaches.

5. (obsolete) Broken off. [Attested from the early 17th century until the mid 18th century.]
6. Extremely steep or craggy as if broken up; precipitous. [First attested in the early 17th century.]
   • a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:

     The mazy-running brook
     Forms a deep pool; this bank abrupt and high.

   • 1961 October, ""Voyageur"", “The Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway”, in Trains Illustrated, page 601:

     To the north the towering scree-strewn slopes of Saddleback begin to draw nearer as we start the abrupt descent towards Keswick.

7. (botany) Suddenly terminating, as if cut off; truncate. [First attested in the early 19th century.]
   • 1839, William Baxter, British Phænogamous Botany‎^[3], →OCLC:

     Root oblong, blackish, nearly the thickness of the little finger, often growing obliquely; abrupt at the lower end, so as to appear as if bitten off, furnished with long whitish fibres.

Synonyms

• (precipitous): broken, rough, rugged
• (without time to prepare): sudden; see also Thesaurus:sudden
• (uncivil): blunt, brusque
• (without transition): disconnected, unexpected

Derived terms

• abrupt appearance
• abrupt appearance theory
• abruptic
• abruption
• abruptly
• abruptness
• nonabrupt
• theory of abrupt appearance
• unabrupt

 

Translations

extremely steep

• Bulgarian: стръмен (bg) (strǎmen)
• Catalan: abrupte (ca)
• Danish: brat (da)
• Dutch: steil (nl)
• Finnish: äkkijyrkkä (fi)
• French: abrupt (fr)
• German: abrupt (de), jäh (de), schroff (de), steil (de)
• Greek: απόκρημνος (el) m (apókrimnos), απότομος (el) m (apótomos)
• Hebrew: תלול (he) m (talul)
• Ido: abrupta (io), eskarpa (io)
• Italian: brusco (it)
• Latin: abruptus
• Macedonian: стр́мен (stŕmen)
• Maori: mote
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: brå, bratt, steil

• Portuguese: brusco (pt), abrupto (pt)
• Romanian: abrupt (ro)
• Russian: круто́й (ru) (krutój), обры́вистый (ru) (obrývistyj)
• Spanish: abrupto (es), brusco (es)

without notice

• Arabic: مُبَاغِت m (mubāḡit), مُفَاجِئ m (mufājiʔ)
• Belarusian: рапто́ўны m (raptóŭny)
• Bulgarian: рязък (bg) (rjazǎk), внезапен (bg) (vnezapen)
• Catalan: abrupte (ca)
• Danish: pludselig (da), uformodet
• Dutch: abrupt (nl), plots (nl), bruusk (nl)
• Finnish: äkillinen (fi), odottamaton (fi)
• French: brusque (fr), precipité (fr)
• German: abrupt (de), jäh (de)
• Greek: αιφνίδιος (el) m (aifnídios), απροσδόκητος (el) m (aprosdókitos), ξαφνικός (el) m (xafnikós)
• Irish: tobann
• Italian: brusco (it), improvviso (it), inaspettato (it)
• Latin: abruptus
• Macedonian: нена́деен (nenádeen), на́гол (nágol)
• Maltese: f’daqqa, ta’ malajr
• Maori: ohotata, whawhati tata
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: brå, plutselig (no), uventet

• Polish: nagłe n
• Portuguese: brusco (pt), abrupto (pt)
• Russian: внеза́пный (ru) (vnezápnyj), неожи́данный (ru) (neožídannyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: nágao (sh), nȅnādan (sh), ȉznenādan (sh)
• Spanish: repentino (es), súbito (es), abrupto (es)
• Telugu: అకస్మాత్తుగా (te) (akasmāttugā)
• Ukrainian: рапто́вий m (raptóvyj)

curt in manner

• Bulgarian: рязък (bg) (rjazǎk), безцеремонен (bg) (bezceremonen)
• Dutch: kortaf (nl), bruusk (nl)
• Finnish: töksähtävä, karkea (fi)
• French: brusque (fr)
• German: einsiblig, wortkarg (de), kurz angebunden (de)
• Greek: απότομος (el) m (apótomos), κοφτός (el) m (koftós)
• Ido: bruska (io)
• Irish: gearrbhéalach
• Macedonian: о́стар (óstar), ре́зок (rézok)
• Maltese: ta’ mod goff
• Maori: whakatumatuma
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: brå, skarp (no)

• Portuguese: brusco (pt), rude (pt)
• Russian: бесцеремо́нный (ru) (besceremónnyj), ре́зкий (ru) (rézkij)
• Serbo-Croatian: ȍsōran (sh)
• Spanish: abrupto (es), brusco (es), cortante (es)
• Welsh: swta (cy)

having sudden transitions from one state to next

• Catalan: abrupte (ca)
• Dutch: hortend (nl), onsamenhangend (nl)
• Finnish: äkillinen (fi)
• German: abrupt (de), jäh (de)
• Greek: ασυνεχής (el) m (asynechís)
• Ido: abrupta (io), bruska (io)
• Italian: discontinuo (it), discontinua (it), sconnesso (it), sconnessa (it)
• Latin: abruptus
• Maori: whawhati tata
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: brå, plutselig (no)

• Portuguese: brusco (pt), abrupto (pt)
• Spanish: brusco (es), abrupto (es)

botany: truncated

• Dutch: afgeknot (nl)
• Finnish: katkaistu (fi)
• German: abgestumpft (de)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: please add this translation if you can

• Spanish: abrupto (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} abrupte, ^{(please verify)} brusc, ^{(please verify)} precipitate
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} abrupt (ro), ^{(please verify)} brusc (ro), ^{(please verify)} precipitat (ro)
• Tamil: ^{(please verify)} சடுதி (ta) (caṭuti)
• Ukrainian: ^{(please verify)} наглий (uk) (nahlyj), ^{(please verify)} раптовий (raptovyj)

Verb

abrupt (third-person singular simple present abrupts, present participle abrupting, simple past and past participle abrupted)

1. (transitive, archaic) To tear off or asunder. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
   • 1642, Tho[mas] Browne, “(please specify the page)”, in Religio Medici. […], 4th edition, London: […] E. Cotes for Andrew Crook […], published 1656, →OCLC:

     Till death abrupts them.

2. To interrupt suddenly. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]

Derived terms

• abruptedly

 

Translations

to tear off or asunder

• Dutch: afbreken (nl), scheiden (nl)
• Finnish: erottaa (fi)
• Portuguese: abscindir

to interrupt suddenly

• Finnish: keskeyttää (fi)
• Portuguese: abscindir, interromper (pt)

Noun

abrupt (plural abrupts)

1. (poetic) Something which is abrupt; an abyss. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Over the vast abrupt.

Translations

abyss

• Dutch: kloof (nl) m

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French abrupt, itself borrowed from Latin abruptus, from abrumpēre (“to break off”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ab‧rupt

Adjective

abrupt (comparative abrupter, superlative abruptst)

1. abrupt (sudden)

Declension

Declension of abrupt
uninflected	abrupt
inflected	abrupte
comparative	abrupter
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		abrupt	abrupter	het abruptst het abruptste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	abrupte	abruptere	abruptste
	n. sing.	abrupt	abrupter	abruptste
	plural	abrupte	abruptere	abruptste
definite		abrupte	abruptere	abruptste
partitive		abrupts	abrupters	—

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin abruptus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.bʁypt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

abrupt (feminine abrupte, masculine plural abrupts, feminine plural abruptes)

1. Extremely steep, near vertical
2. curt and abrupt
3. Done or said forwardly and without caution to avoid shocking

Derived terms

• abruptement

Further reading

• “abrupt”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

German

Etymology

18th century, from Latin abruptus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /apˈʁʊpt/, /aˈbʁʊpt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

abrupt (strong nominative masculine singular abrupter, comparative abrupter, superlative am abruptesten)

1. abrupt
   1. sudden, unforeseen

      Synonyms: jäh, plötzlich, schlagartig

   2. unconnected, having sudden transitions, (of movements) jerking

Declension

Positive forms of abrupt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist abrupt	sie ist abrupt	es ist abrupt	sie sind abrupt
strong declension (without article)	nominative	abrupter	abrupte	abruptes	abrupte
	genitive	abrupten	abrupter	abrupten	abrupter
	dative	abruptem	abrupter	abruptem	abrupten
	accusative	abrupten	abrupte	abruptes	abrupte
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der abrupte	die abrupte	das abrupte	die abrupten
	genitive	des abrupten	der abrupten	des abrupten	der abrupten
	dative	dem abrupten	der abrupten	dem abrupten	den abrupten
	accusative	den abrupten	die abrupte	das abrupte	die abrupten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein abrupter	eine abrupte	ein abruptes	(keine) abrupten
	genitive	eines abrupten	einer abrupten	eines abrupten	(keiner) abrupten
	dative	einem abrupten	einer abrupten	einem abrupten	(keinen) abrupten
	accusative	einen abrupten	eine abrupte	ein abruptes	(keine) abrupten

Comparative forms of abrupt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist abrupter	sie ist abrupter	es ist abrupter	sie sind abrupter
strong declension (without article)	nominative	abrupterer	abruptere	abrupteres	abruptere
	genitive	abrupteren	abrupterer	abrupteren	abrupterer
	dative	abrupterem	abrupterer	abrupterem	abrupteren
	accusative	abrupteren	abruptere	abrupteres	abruptere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der abruptere	die abruptere	das abruptere	die abrupteren
	genitive	des abrupteren	der abrupteren	des abrupteren	der abrupteren
	dative	dem abrupteren	der abrupteren	dem abrupteren	den abrupteren
	accusative	den abrupteren	die abruptere	das abruptere	die abrupteren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein abrupterer	eine abruptere	ein abrupteres	(keine) abrupteren
	genitive	eines abrupteren	einer abrupteren	eines abrupteren	(keiner) abrupteren
	dative	einem abrupteren	einer abrupteren	einem abrupteren	(keinen) abrupteren
	accusative	einen abrupteren	eine abruptere	ein abrupteres	(keine) abrupteren

Superlative forms of abrupt

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am abruptesten	sie ist am abruptesten	es ist am abruptesten	sie sind am abruptesten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	abruptester	abrupteste	abruptestes	abrupteste
	genitive	abruptesten	abruptester	abruptesten	abruptester
	dative	abruptestem	abruptester	abruptestem	abruptesten
	accusative	abruptesten	abrupteste	abruptestes	abrupteste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der abrupteste	die abrupteste	das abrupteste	die abruptesten
	genitive	des abruptesten	der abruptesten	des abruptesten	der abruptesten
	dative	dem abruptesten	der abruptesten	dem abruptesten	den abruptesten
	accusative	den abruptesten	die abrupteste	das abrupteste	die abruptesten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein abruptester	eine abrupteste	ein abruptestes	(keine) abruptesten
	genitive	eines abruptesten	einer abruptesten	eines abruptesten	(keiner) abruptesten
	dative	einem abruptesten	einer abruptesten	einem abruptesten	(keinen) abruptesten
	accusative	einen abruptesten	eine abrupteste	ein abruptestes	(keine) abruptesten

Further reading

• “abrupt” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “abrupt” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin abruptus (“broken off, torn; abrupt”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈbrʉpt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʉpt
• Hyphenation: ab‧rupt

Adjective

abrupt (neuter singular abrupt, definite singular and plural abrupte, comparative mer abrupt, superlative mest abrupt)

1. abrupt (having sudden transitions from one subject or state to another; unconnected; disjointed)

   Synonyms: plutselig, brå

   abrupte setninger ― abrupt sentences

   abrupt tale ― abrupt speech

   • 1976, Karsten Alnæs, Felttoget, page 14:

     han lignet en vadefugl, ikke bare i skikkelsen, men også gjennom den abrupte rykkende gangen

     he resembled a wader, not only in the figure, but also through the abrupt jerking passage

   • 1993, Tor Ulven, Avløsning, page 47:

     i et abrupt glimt husker du … at du en gang sto slik

     in an abrupt glimpse you remember… that you once stood like that

   • 2000, Pernille Rygg, Det gyldne snitt:

     ikke gråt, bare et siste, abrupt avklippet ynk

     not crying, just one last, abruptly clipped pity

   • 2013, Erik Bjerck Hagen, Livets overskudd, page 107:

     Riis’ abrupte og prekære tilbaketog

     Riis' abrupt and precarious retreat

Derived terms

• abrupthet (“abruptness”)

References

• “abrupt” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “abrupt” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “abrupt” in Store norske leksikon

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French abrupt, Latin abruptus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈbrupt/

Adjective

abrupt m or n (feminine singular abruptă, masculine plural abrupți, feminine and neuter plural abrupte)

1. abrupt
2. extremely steep, near vertical

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	abrupt		abruptă		abrupți	abrupte
	definite	abruptul		abrupta		abrupții	abruptele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	abrupt		abrupte		abrupți	abrupte
	definite	abruptului		abruptei		abrupților	abruptelor

References

• abrupt in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈbrɵpːt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

abrupt

1. abrupt, sudden

Declension

Inflection of abrupt
Indefinite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	abrupt	—	—
Neuter singular	abrupt	—	—
Plural	abrupta	—	—
Masculine plural3	abrupte	—	—
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular1	abrupte	—	—
All	abrupta	—	—
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic

Adverb

abrupt

1. suddenly

Synonyms

• plötsligt