cliffhanger

See also: cliff-hanger and cliff hanger

English

Alternative forms

• cliff hanger, cliff-hanger

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)/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

cliffhanger (plural cliffhangers)

1. (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.?"

2. (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?

Antonyms

• anticlimax

Derived terms

• cliffhang

Related terms

• cliffhanging

Translations

(narratology) an ending or stopping point

• Japanese: 序破急 (johakyū)
• Malay: babak tergantung

• Portuguese: gancho (pt)
• Tagalog: pabitin

outcome awaited with keen anticipation

See also

• cliffhanger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia