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Glite Dictionary
😱 Very suspenseful 🏞️ At cliff edge ⏳ A suspense moment
cliffhanging

cliffhanging

4.7
A moment in a story that leaves people in suspense
  • noun
  • /ˈklɪfˌhæŋɪŋ/
translation icon : cliffhanger
  • The author is known for her skillful use of cliffhanging to keep readers turning the pages.

Examples

  • The movie ended with a cliffhanging scene!

  • What a cliffhanging ending that was!

  • The movie ended with a dramatic cliffhanging that left everyone eager for the sequel.

  • Fans were frustrated by the show's unexpected cliffhanging at the end of the season.

  • The final scene of the film ended with a cliffhanging moment, leaving the audience eager for a sequel.

  • In the latest novel, the author creates a cliffhanging situation that has readers questioning the fate of the main character.

  • The play was filled with cliffhanging moments that kept the audience at the edge of their seats.

Synonyms

suspense
vscliffhanging
82 3.7

A feeling of excited worry about what will happen next

is a situation or moment that produces that feeling in the audience
cliffhanger
vscliffhanging
20 5.3

A story or event that leaves people in suspense and wanting to know what happens next

is the specific story moment that creates that uncertainty

Antonyms

resolution
199 3.7

Solving a problem or ending a disagreement

closure
133 5.1

A feeling that helps you accept the end of a painful event

How Suspenseful

nail-biter
  • Informal
7 5.2
cliffhanging
4.7
suspense
82 3.7
anticlimax
2 7.0

Surface Forms

cliffhanging singular
cliffhangings plural

Morphology

cliffhanging = cliff + hanging (opaque) = cliff + hang + ing

The noun sense refers to a lexicalized suspense device, so the meaning is not directly recoverable from cliff and hanging alone.

Etymology

Cliffhanging as a noun names a moment in a story when the action is not finished. The word comes from scenes where a character is left hanging on a cliff, so it means 'a situation that leaves the audience in suspense'.