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We'll break it to you gently: abrupt derives from abruptus, the past participle of the Latin verb abrumpere, meaning "to break off." Abrumpere combines the prefix ab- with rumpere, which means "to break" and which forms the basis for several other words in English that suggest a kind of breaking, such as interrupt, rupture, and bankrupt. Whether being used to describe a style of speaking that seems rudely short (as in "gave an abrupt answer"), something with a severe rise or drop ("abrupt temperature change"), or something that seems rash and unprecipitated ("made the abrupt decision to quit college"), abrupt, which first appeared in English in the 16th century, implies a kind of jarring unexpectedness that catches people off guard.
Examples of abrupt in a Sentence
Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
The abrupt cancellation Wednesday of a London trip that Mr. Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had planned – to meet officials from Ukraine and its European allies – was the latest sign that ending the conflict is proving far more complex.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Apr. 2025
This abrupt conclusion to their title reign left many fans perplexed, questioning the logic behind their initial victory.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Early action scenes are told in strangely oblique ways, with gunfire erupting off-screen (but little carnage shown) or else via abrupt cuts, filled in later by ultra-violent flashbacks.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abrupt
Cite this Entry
“Abrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abrupt. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
abrupt
adjectivefrom Latin abruptus "abrupt," derived from abrumpere "to break off," from ab- "from" and rumpere "to break" — related to corrupt, interrupt, rupture
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