I. Lit., sudden, hasty, unexpected, unlooked for (class., but less freq. than the deriv. repentinus; for the most part only in nom. sing.; a favorite word with Liv.; cf. Drak. ad Liv. 8, 29, 1): “ne me inparatum cura laceraret repens, Cic. poët. Tusc. 3, 14, 29: hostium adventus (opp. exspectatus, and with maris subita tempestas),” id. Tusc. 3, 22, 52: “adventus consulis,” Liv. 9, 41: “bellum,” id. 4, 14; 10, 7: “casus Attali,” id. 33, 2: “clades,” id. 22, 7; 8: “defectio,” id. 8, 29: “fama belli,” id. 6, 42: “cum fama repens alio avertit bellum,” id. 22, 21, 6: “religio,” id. 29, 10: “terror,” id. 21, 30; 33, 15: “tumultus,” id. 1, 14; 10, 18; 21, 26: “discordia,” Verg. A. 12, 313: “seditio,” Ov. M. 12, 61: “clamor,” Sil. 3, 220: “singultus vocis,” Stat. Th. 7, 360: “sonus,” Sen. Med. 971: “vox,” Val. Fl. 2, 91: “consternatio,” Curt. 10, 2, 15. — In abl.: “repenti fulminis ictu,” Lucr. 5, 400.—
II. Transf. (in Tac.), opp. to earlier, more ancient, i. e. for recens, new, fresh, recent: “neque discerneres, quid repens aut vetustate obscurum,” Tac. A. 6, 7; 11, 24: “causa,” id. ib. 15, 68: “cogitatio,” id. H. 1, 23; 2, 49: “perfidia,” id. ib. 4, 25.—Adv., in two forms, suddenly, unexpectedly.
b. rĕpentē (class. and freq.): “abripuit repente sese subito,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 21; so (corresp. to subito) Cic. de Or. 1, 59, 252: repente exortus sum, repentino occidi, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 37: “repente celeriterque,” Caes. B. G. 1, 52: “repente e vestigio,” Cic. Div. in Caecil. 17, 57: “repente a tergo signa canere,” Sall. J. 94, 5: “repente praeter spem,” Cic. Fam. 4, 4, 3: “repente ex inopinato,” Suet. Galb. 10; cf.: “cunctisque repente Improvisus ait,” Verg. A. 1, 594: “lapsa repente (turris),” id. ib. 2, 465: “amicitias repente praecidere (opp. sensim dissuere),” Cic. Off. 1, 33, 120: “repente collectam auctoritatem tenebant,” Caes. B. G. 6, 12 fin.; cf.: “modo egens, repente dives,” Cic. Phil. 2, 27, 65: “an dolor repente invasit?” Ter. Hec. 3, 2, 21: “me repente horum aspectus repressit,” Cic. Sest. 39, 144: “abjectus conscientiā repente conticuit,” id. Cat. 3, 5, 10; id. Rep. 1, 16, 25: “cum circumfusa repente Scindit se nubes,” Verg. A. 1, 586 et saep.
