From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsuddenlysud‧den‧ly /ˈsʌdnli/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb SUDDENLYquickly and unexpectedly I suddenly realized that there was someone following me. George died very suddenly.[sentence adverb] Suddenly, the eagle opened its wings.THESAURUSsuddenly used when something happens very quickly and unexpectedlySuddenly, there was a loud bang.I suddenly realized what had happened.Her husband died suddenly at the age of 64.all of a sudden suddenly – used especially in stories or descriptions of past eventsAll of a sudden, he takes a gun out of his pocket and shoots.He just all of a sudden decided to leave.without warning suddenly and with no signs that it was going to happen – used about bad or dangerous thingsOne day, he collapsed without warning.Then, without warning, her husband left her.out of the blue suddenly and unexpectedly – used especially when you hear from someone you have not seen for a long time or when someone tells you something that surprises youShe turned up on my doorstep, out of the blue.The offer had come completely out of the blue.at short notice British English, on short notice American English suddenly, so that there is not much time to prepare or change arrangementsHe came into the side at short notice, when another player was injured.Occasionally, tours may have to be cancelled at short notice.on the spur of the moment used when talking about things you decide to do suddenly, without planning them beforehandWe all buy things on the spur of the moment.On the spur of the moment, I decided to go and talk to her about it.
Examples from the Corpus
suddenly• Carl, as it happened, left our school almost as suddenly as he had come there.• Several years ago her husband died suddenly at the age of 64.• It tore past me, and I suddenly knew: the Wild Huntsman had commanded it to carry away a human soul.• Having hundreds of millions of people watching on television suddenly made sense, for a moment.• Jane suddenly realized she was falling in love with him.• I suddenly realized that there was someone following me.• As suddenly, she rejected the idea.• Suddenly there was a knock on the door.• Suddenly there was a loud bang and all the lights went out.• As the train slid slowly into Asansol station, Brother Mariadas, suddenly wide awake, shook me out of my reverie.• You bring the glass up to your lips, but suddenly you think: What am I doing?suddenly realized• She suddenly realized he really was interested in the ship.• He only wished again for help and then suddenly realized he was wishing for Cynthia.• I tried to sound composed, not to show courage but because I suddenly realized it was simply the only alternative.• Glover suddenly realized that he linked both this boy and Lois with the end of his privacy.• Arriving, I suddenly realized that I didn't have a job to do.• At that point she suddenly realized that she had the most perfect, most gorgeous, most responsive baby in the world.• I suddenly realized that there were a lot of worthwhile things I could do if I were reprieved.• As Zen turned away he glanced at the calendar hanging beside the phone, and suddenly realized what day it was. 