suspense
Americannoun
-
a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety.
-
a state of mental indecision.
-
undecided or doubtful condition, as of affairs.
For a few days matters hung in suspense.
-
the state or condition of being suspended.
noun
-
the condition of being insecure or uncertain
the matter of the succession remained in suspense for many years
-
mental uncertainty; anxiety
their father's illness kept them in a state of suspense
-
excitement felt at the approach of the climax
a play of terrifying suspense
-
the condition of being suspended
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of suspense
1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin suspēnsum deferment, suspension, uncertainty, noun use of neuter of Latin suspēnsus hung up, doubtful, in suspense (past participle of suspendere to hang up, leave undecided), equivalent to sus- sus- + pēnsus ( pend-, stem of pendere (translation) to hang ( see pend) + -tus past participle suffix, with dt > s )
Explanation
Suspense is a feeling of excited waiting. If you have been waiting for weeks to get an answer to your proposal of marriage, you are being kept in suspense. The verb form, suspend, literally means to keep hanging. Suspense can be used in all sorts of ways. Movies that keep you on the edge of your seat in fear use suspense to draw you in. Suspense doesn’t always have to be scary, but it is usually agitating. If you are in suspense, you’re waiting on something that you really have to know.
Vocabulary lists containing suspense
"What Is the Horror Genre?" Vocabulary from the literary criticism
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
August Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Stargirl
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Monty Norman's surf guitar riff and John Barry's sweeping orchestral scores spawned an entire genre of spy music – full of minor key suspense and piercing stabs of trumpet.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
In his telling, every meeting packs a punchline, conclusions are never foregone and suspense is rarely more than a page or two away.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
They are announced one by one, starting from the bottom of the scoreboard -- thereby stretching out the suspense until the very end.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
Featuring new work from masters like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and SoCal’s Gary Phillips, our Summer 2026 books preview highlights this season’s most anticipated crime fiction and suspense novels.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
“I said, the suspense is killing me. Are you actually using the earplugs?”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
