Sudden describes something that happens very quickly and unexpectedly, without warning.
From Old French 'soudain', from Latin 'subitaneus' meaning 'coming secretly, unexpected', from 'subitus' (sudden), from 'subire' (to come up). It originally emphasized surprise.
The idea behind 'sudden' is something that sneaks up on you—so fast it feels like it came from nowhere. Our brains hate sudden change, which is why even sudden good news can feel overwhelming.
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