What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
overnight
Example
The company's success was not overnight, but rather the result of years of hard work. [overnight: adjective]
Example
The stock market crash caused an overnight change in the economy. [overnight: adverb]
Example
We stayed overnight at the hotel and left early in the morning. [overnight: adverb]
sudden
Example
The sudden noise startled me. [sudden: adjective]
Example
The sudden rainstorm caught us off guard. [sudden: adjective]
Example
I felt a sudden urge to leave the party. [sudden: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Sudden is more commonly used than overnight in everyday language. Sudden is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while overnight is less common and refers to a specific timeframe or duration.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between overnight and sudden?
Both overnight and sudden can be used in formal and informal contexts, and neither is particularly more formal than the other.
