suspense

[suh-spens]

See more synonyms for suspense on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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)

Related formssus·pense·ful, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for suspenseful

sensational, startling, breathtaking, thrilling, impressive, striking, tense, powerful, climactic, theatrical, melodramatic, sudden, tragic, emotional, comic, vivid, terrifying, shocking, frightening, chilling

Examples from the Web for suspenseful

Contemporary Examples of suspenseful

A sure-fire draft pick turned into a 50-50 chance, and then a suspenseful wait through the final rounds of the NFL draft.
Michael Sam Makes NFL History At Last
Robert Silverman
May 11, 2014
“I wanted to create a suspenseful sequence,” he explained to the crowd.
David Chase Can’t Escape ‘The Sopranos’ Finale
Alex Suskind
May 1, 2014
“Omar” is funny and suspenseful, with the perfect balance of romance and action.
'Omar' and the Oscars
Maysoon Zayid
December 16, 2013
But these are minor quibbles for a work as unrelentingly ambitious and suspenseful as A Dance With Dragons.
George R.R. Martin’s Triumphant Return
Jace Lacob
July 7, 2011
Wallner brings the 1970s Soviet Union to life in this suspenseful tale of love and espionage during the Cold War.
This Week's Hot Reads
The Daily Beast
April 28, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for suspenseful

suspense

noun

the condition of being insecure or uncertainthe matter of the succession remained in suspense for many years
mental uncertainty; anxietytheir father's illness kept them in a state of suspense
excitement felt at the approach of the climaxa play of terrifying suspense
the condition of being suspended

Derived Formssuspenseful, adjective

Word Origin for suspense

C15: from Medieval Latin suspensum delay, from Latin suspendere to hang up; see suspend

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for suspenseful

suspense

c.1400, "not being executed, unfulfilled" (of legal matters), from Anglo-French suspens (in en suspens "in abeyance," c.1300), from Old French suspens "act of suspending," from Latin suspensus, past participle of suspendere (see suspend). Meaning "state of mental uncertainty" (mid-15c.) is from legal meaning of "not rendered, not paid, not carried out" (e.g. suspended sentence). As a genre of novels, stories, etc., attested from 1952.