Repente means a burst (of speed) or a fit (as in going wild). Most commonly this word is used in the phrase “de repente,” which means suddenly.

I had thought the term de repente meant maybe or perhaps, but since I have been in Mexico I have heard it used to mean immediately or all of a sudden. While reading up on the term I found out that in Peru the phrase de repente means maybe. Since I first started learning Spanish in Peru, that would explain why I thought it meant perhaps. Apparently, it is only used to mean maybe in Peru. Every where else uses it to mean suddenly.