suspense

American  

[suh-spens] / səˈspɛns /

noun

1. 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.

2. a state of mental indecision.

3. undecided or doubtful condition, as of affairs.

   For a few days matters hung in suspense.

4. the state or condition of being suspended.

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suspense British  

/ səˈspɛns /

noun

1. the condition of being insecure or uncertain

   the matter of the succession remained in suspense for many years

2. mental uncertainty; anxiety

   their father's illness kept them in a state of suspense

3. excitement felt at the approach of the climax

   a play of terrifying suspense

4. the condition of being suspended

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Other Word Forms

• suspenseful adjective

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 ( pend ) + -tus past participle suffix, with dt > s )

Example Sentences

Reader concern for Jane, her family and her clients raises the suspense level.

From The Wall Street Journal

Writer-director Ian Tuason, in his first feature, handles the second of these assignments with gusto: The movie generates a pleasing fog of suspense as it makes the audience pay attention to each new audio cue.

From The Wall Street Journal

While suspense about best picture doesn't happen every year, what is truly unusual this time is the amount of uncertainty surrounding the acting prizes.

From Barron's

There’s suspense and emotion, and she already sort of has a point—about things going differently than you hope they will, and moving on without the kind of closure you want.

From Literature

“The suspense has been building and building, and now we have a few things that are either a variation on minoxidil or maybe something new, but they’re still very, very early.”

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• anxiety
• apprehension
• confusion
• doubt
• insecurity
• tension
• thriller
• uncertainty