aposiopesis

American  

[ap-uh-sahy-uh-pee-sis] / ˌæp əˌsaɪ əˈpi sɪs /

noun

Rhetoric.

• aposiopeses
  plural

1. a sudden breaking off in the midst of a sentence, as if from inability or unwillingness to proceed.

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aposiopesis British  

/ ˌæpəʊˌsaɪəˈpiːsɪs /

noun

1. rhetoric the device of suddenly breaking off in the middle of a sentence as if unwilling to continue

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• aposiopetic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• aposiopeses
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of aposiopesis

1570–80; < Late Latin < Greek: literally, a full silence, equivalent to aposiōpē- (verbid stem of aposiōpáein to be fully silent; apo- apo- + siōpáein to be silent) + -sis -sis

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aposiopesis aposiopeses

And the novel's final line, from inside Valentine's head, is a typical and brilliant Fordian aposiopesis: "She was setting out on …" It could end there.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 24, 2012

"Oh yes, and the sheep, too, but—" A pregnant aposiopesis.

From In a Green Shade A Country Commentary by Maurice Henry Hewlett

"If you will have it," said Alf, with fine aposiopesis.

From Not George Washington — an Autobiographical Novel by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse

"So..." said Mr. Carmyle, becoming articulate, and allowed an impressive aposiopesis to take the place of the rest of the speech.

From The Adventures of Sally by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse

By the same token—but here the figure of aposiopesis is advantageous to me—old Madam Burridge, of my lodgings, has sent me three large forks and one small, which I left behind.

From What I Remember, Volume 2 by Thomas Adolphus Trollope

The whole plot of the Ciris is in fact unravelled by means of a series of allusions and suggestions, exclamations and soliloquies, parentheses and aposiopeses, interrogations and apostrophes.

From Vergil A Biography by Tenney Frank

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