sudden

Related to sudden: sudden infant death syndrome, Sudden Attack

a (sudden) rush of blood (to the head)

A sudden feeling of excitement or anger that causes one to act in unexpected ways. It must have been a sudden rush of blood to the head that made Gary lash out at Ron, because he's usually so calm.
See also: blood, of, rush

a quick drop and a sudden stop

Death from either falling from a great height or from hanging. I wouldn't get too close to the edge of that cliff if I were you, you'd have a pretty quick drop and a sudden stop.
See also: and, drop, quick, stop, sudden

all of a sudden

Unexpectedly and abruptly; suddenly. I was startled when the fire alarm went off all of a sudden. I thought Laura and I were friends, but all of a sudden, she stopped talking to me.
See also: all, of, sudden

have a (sudden) rush of blood to the head

To have a sudden feeling of excitement or anger that causes one to act in unexpected ways. It must have been a sudden rush of blood to the head that made Gary lash out at Ron, because he's usually so calm.
See also: blood, have, head, of, rush

sudden death

In sports, a period of play triggered by a tie at the end of a game or match in which the first team to score wins. Sometimes hyphenated if used as a modifier. I really hope they can win in regulation so the game doesn't go into sudden death. In the event of a tie, the game will be determined by sudden-death overtime.
See also: death, sudden
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

all of a sudden

suddenly. All of a sudden lightning struck the tree we were sitting under. I felt a sharp pain in my side all of a sudden.
See also: all, of, sudden
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

all of a sudden

Entirely without warning, abruptly, as in All of a sudden the lights went out. In Shakespeare's day the common phrase was of a sudden, the word all being added in the late 1600s. Also see all at once, def. 2.
See also: all, of, sudden
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

all of a sudden

COMMON If something happens all of a sudden, it happens quickly and unexpectedly. All of a sudden she didn't look sleepy any more. I felt incredibly lonely all of a sudden.
See also: all, of, sudden
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

(all) of a sudden

suddenly.
As a noun sudden is now found only in this phrase, but from the mid 16th century to the early 18th century it was in regular use in the sense ‘an unexpected danger or emergency’.
See also: of, sudden
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

ˌall of a ˈsudden

suddenly and unexpectedly: I was sitting reading my book when all of a sudden the lights went out.
See also: all, of, sudden

ˌsudden ˈdeath

a way of deciding the winner of a game when scores are equal at the end. The players or teams continue playing and the game ends as soon as one of them gains the lead: If no one scores in the next five minutes the game will go to sudden death. They won the match after an exciting sudden-death play-off.
See also: death, sudden
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

sudden death

mod. having to do with something short, quick, and decisive. The game ended in a sudden death playoff.
See also: death, sudden
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

all of a sudden

Very quickly and unexpectedly; suddenly.
See also: all, of, sudden
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • a (sudden) rush of blood (to the head)
  • a rush of blood
  • have a (sudden) rush of blood to the head
  • have a rush of blood to the head
  • all of a sudden
  • of a sudden
  • get a wild hair to (do something)
  • have a wild hair to (do something)
  • a/the turn of events
  • melt up
References in classic literature
"Your father has had a sudden attack, and has not quite recovered his memory.
With a sudden flash and movement, he raised himself in the bed; she rushed toward him, and clasped him with agonized kisses.
The Mill on the Floss
And then the black-bearded tyrant turned and cast a sudden greedy look upon Dejah Thoris, as though with the words a new thought and a new desire had sprung up within his mind and breast.
What could be the meaning of his sudden change toward me?
Warlord of Mars
A sudden chorus of voices arose in tumultuous protest.
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
The crowd of Beast People fled in sudden panic before me, up the beach.
The enclosure, with all its provisions and ammunition, burnt noisily, with sudden gusts of flame, a fitful crackling, and now and then a crash.
Island of Doctor Moreau
Here the youth forgot many things as he felt a sudden impulse of curi- osity.
Of a sudden he felt a heavy and sad hand laid upon his shoulder.
Red Badge of Courage
Of a sudden she realized how wide had become the gulf between them now.
The Monster Men
The sudden excess of her alarm as she observed those ominous signs of something wrong rallied her natural energy, and determined her desperately on knowing the worst.
Her father turned on her with a sudden severity, so entirely unparalleled in her experience of him that she started back in downright terror.
No Name
Then, of a sudden, with a twist and a wrench, the stranger loosed himself, and he of the scar found himself locked in a pair of arms that fairly made his ribs crack.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood