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adverb

improvvisamente

suddenly

Definition & meaning

Improvvisamente means suddenly or all of a sudden. It describes something that happens unexpectedly or without warning.

  • Improvvisamente, la luce si spense. — Suddenly, the light went out.

Grammar & Word origin

It is an adverb, so it does not change for gender or number. It is formed from the feminine adjective improvvisa , meaning “sudden” or “unexpected,” plus the adverb-forming suffix -mente.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • all’improvviso — “suddenly”; very close in meaning and often interchangeable.
  • di colpo — “all at once”; emphasizes the abruptness of an event.
  • inaspettatamente — “unexpectedly”; emphasizes surprise rather than speed.

Antonyms:

  • gradualmente — “gradually”; describes a change occurring in stages.
  • lentamente — “slowly”; emphasizes a lack of speed rather than predictability.

Common phrases & collocations

  • apparire improvvisamente — to appear suddenly
  • cambiare improvvisamente — to change suddenly
  • interrompersi improvvisamente — to stop suddenly

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Examples

Improvvisamente è iniziata la pioggia.adverb

Suddenly the rain started.

Mentre stavamo cenando sul balcone, le luci si sono spente improvvisamente.adverb

While we were having dinner on the balcony, the lights went out suddenly.

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