cliffhanger
See also: cliff-hanger and cliff hanger
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From cliff + hanger, evoking the image of someone left hanging from a cliff, thereby having an uncertain fate.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˌklɪfˈhæŋ.ə(ɹ)/
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Audio (US) (file)
Noun
cliffhanger (plural cliffhangers)
- (narratology) An ending or stopping point calculated to leave a story unresolved, in order to create suspense.
- 2007, Hilary Hylton, "Filming Texas in a Good Light," Time, 2 Jul.:
- Back in the early 80s, the hit series Dallas kept the nation guessing with its season-ending cliffhanger "Who Shot J.R.?"
- 2007, Hilary Hylton, "Filming Texas in a Good Light," Time, 2 Jul.:
- (by extension) An outcome which is awaited with keen anticipation, especially one which is delayed for a period of time or which is not known until the last minute.
- 2008, Timothy Garton Ash, "Russia has run rings round the west," Guardian (UK), 28 Feb. (retrieved 2 Feb. 2009):
- This presidential election is such a cliffhanger. Will it be the rising star Dmitry "Obamovich" Medvedev? Or the veteran Gennady "McCainovich" Zyuganov?
- 2008, Timothy Garton Ash, "Russia has run rings round the west," Guardian (UK), 28 Feb. (retrieved 2 Feb. 2009):
Antonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
(narratology) an ending or stopping point
outcome awaited with keen anticipation
See also
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