abruptness

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The quality of being sudden or happening with little warning.

   Grammar: Used with the or of; not usually plural.

   Patterns

   • the abruptness of something
   • the abruptness of a change
   • with abruptness

   The abruptness of the ending surprised the audience.

   People disliked the abruptness of the new schedule, not the schedule itself.

   The abruptness of the announcement made rumors spread quickly.

2. 2noununcountabledisapproving

   The quality of being blunt or impolite in manner.

   Grammar: Often used with of to describe replies, manners, or behavior.

   Patterns

   • the abruptness of a reply
   • the abruptness of someone’s manner
   • abruptness of tone

   The abruptness of his reply made the room go quiet.

   Her abruptness of tone was worse than her actual words.

   He apologized for the abruptness of his email.

Common combinations

the abruptness of the ending

The abruptness of the ending left several questions unanswered.

the abruptness of a reply

The abruptness of a reply can matter as much as its content.

the abruptness of a transition

The abruptness of a transition can confuse new students.

Synonyms and how they differ

suddenness

Suddenness is more neutral and does not imply rudeness.

unexpectedness

Unexpectedness only signals lack of warning, not speed or sharpness.

curtness

Curtness specifically means brief impolite speech or manner.

brusqueness

Brusqueness is stronger and more disapproving than abruptness.

Opposites

Word family

abrupt adjective

Sudden, or curt in manner.

abruptly adverb

In a sudden or curt way.

Commonly confused: abruptness or abruptly?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “abruptness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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