All of a sudden
Example: All of a sudden, the lights went out in the room.
Definition
"All of a sudden" is an expression used to describe something happening unexpectedly and quickly, without any warning or gradual buildup. For example, in the phrase 'All of a sudden, the lights went out in the room,' it indicates a sudden and surprising event.
Etymology
The phrase "all of a sudden" originates from English idiomatic expressions dating back to the 16th century, combining 'all' and 'sudden' to emphasize the immediacy and unexpectedness of an event. Did you know it evolved from older phrases like 'all at once,' capturing the sense of happening instantly?
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"All of a sudden" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (B1) - set 1", containing 123 commonly used expressions.
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