Sudden
Sudden adjective - Not expected.
Usage example: the sudden snowstorm resulted in thousands of evening commuters abandoning their cars on impassable highways
Startling is a synonym for sudden in amazing topic. In some cases you can use "Startling" instead an adjective "Sudden".
Nearby Words: suddenly, suddenness
Startling
Startling adjective - Causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness.
Sudden is a synonym for startling in amazing topic. You can use "Sudden" instead an adjective "Startling", if it concerns topics such as surprising.
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Cite this Source
Startling and Sudden. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 22, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/sudden/startling
Sudden & Startling. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/sudden/startling>.
Startling or Sudden. 2016. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/sudden/startling.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "sudden" and "startling" have occurred on timeline