Suspense is a state of excitement or anxiety about something that is going to happen very soon, for example about some news that you are waiting to hear.
The England manager will end the suspense at a team meeting tomorrow.
...a writer who holds the suspense throughout her tale.
Synonyms: uncertainty, doubt, tension, anticipation More Synonyms of suspense
2.
See keep sb in suspense
suspense in British English
(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
Derived forms
suspenseful (susˈpenseful)
adjective
Word origin
C15: from Medieval Latin suspensum delay, from Latin suspendere to hang up; see suspend
suspense in American English
(səˈspɛns)
noun
1.
the state of being undecided or undetermined
2.
a state of usually anxious uncertainty, as in awaiting a decision
3.
the growing interest and excitement felt while awaiting a climax or resolution, as of a novel, play, series of events, etc.
4. Rare
suspension or interruption, as of a legal right
Derived forms
suspenseful (susˈpenseful)
adjective
Word origin
ME < MFr suspens, suspense, delay, deferring < ML suspensum < L suspensus, suspended, uncertain, lit., hung up, pp. of suspendere, to suspend
Examples of 'suspense' in a sentence
suspense
The outcome that keeps them in suspense runs as follows.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The real mysteries in these tales of mystery and suspense are the characters themselves.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
Switching from one story to the other also adds to the suspense.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The result is a neat and tidy world mostly stripped of uncertainty and suspense.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Well done for keeping us in suspense until Friday.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
To keep him in suspense would have been perverse, anyway.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Rarely do you find in a British drama such suspense or mystery with no gore.
The Sun (2007)
Denzel Washington shines in this creepy suspense thriller.
The Sun (2009)
With supernatural undertones, this thriller provides more suspense and intrigue than you can swing your tutu at.
The Sun (2011)
There is precious little excitement or suspense to be twisted from the same old rags; the spying game is itself passé.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
If I maintain the suspense it is much better.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He added: 'The suspense is brilliantly effective and the description of places unfailingly evocative.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It is a film low on suspense, inevitably, but it still keeps you watching.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
What we were left with was a rather pedestrian drama without suspense or excitement or penguins, or much sense of why we should watch it.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Encounters with the locals suggest that something sinister, and possibly of international significance, is afoot and the suspense keeps mounting.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
suspense
British English: suspense /səˈspɛns/ NOUN
Suspense is a state of excitement or anxiety about something that is going to happen very soon.
There was genuine suspense before Wilson was named the winner.
American English: suspense
Arabic: تَشْوِيق
Brazilian Portuguese: suspense
Chinese: 悬念
Croatian: neizvjesnost
Czech: napětí očekávání
Danish: spænding
Dutch: spanning suspense
European Spanish: suspense
Finnish: jännitys
French: suspense
German: Spannung Ungewissheit
Greek: αγωνία
Italian: suspense
Japanese: 不安
Korean: 긴장감
Norwegian: spenning
Polish: niepewność
European Portuguese: suspense
Romanian: suspans
Russian: неизвестность
Latin American Spanish: suspenso
Swedish: spänning nervdaller
Thai: ความวิตกกังวล
Turkish: kuşku ve gerilimli bekleyiş
Ukrainian: напружений інтерес
Vietnamese: sự hồi hộp
Chinese translation of 'suspense'
suspense
(səsˈpɛns)
n(u)
(= uncertainty) 焦虑(慮) (jiāolǜ)
(in novel, film) 悬(懸)念 (xuánniàn)
to keep sb in suspense使某人处(處)于(於)紧(緊)张(張)状(狀)态(態) (shǐ mǒurén chǔyú jǐnzhāng zhuàngtài)
(noun)
Definition
a state of anxiety or uncertainty
a writer who holds the suspense throughout her tale
Synonyms
uncertainty
There is genuine uncertainty about the party's future plans.
doubt
They were troubled and full of doubt.
tension
Smiling relieves tension and stress.
anticipation
There's been an atmosphere of anticipation round here for some days.
expectation
His nerves tingled with expectation.
anxiety
His voice was full of anxiety.
insecurity
She is always assailed by emotional insecurity.
expectancy
The atmosphere here at the stadium is one of expectancy.
apprehension
It reflects real anger and apprehension about the future.
phrase
See in suspense
Additional synonyms
in the sense of anticipation
Definition
the act of anticipating
There's been an atmosphere of anticipation round here for some days.
Synonyms
expectancy,
hope,
expectation,
apprehension,
foresight,
premonition,
preconception,
foretaste,
prescience,
forethought,
presentiment
in the sense of anxiety
Definition
a state of uneasiness about what may happen
His voice was full of anxiety.
Synonyms
uneasiness,
concern,
care,
worry,
doubt,
tension,
alarm,
distress,
suspicion,
angst,
unease,
apprehension,
misgiving,
suspense,
nervousness,
disquiet,
trepidation (formal),
foreboding,
restlessness,
solicitude,
perturbation,
watchfulness,
fretfulness,
disquietude,
apprehensiveness,
dubiety
in the sense of apprehension
Definition
anxiety or dread
It reflects real anger and apprehension about the future.
Synonyms
anxiety,
concern,
fear,
worry,
doubt,
alarm,
suspicion,
dread,
unease,
mistrust,
misgiving,
disquiet,
premonition,
trepidation (formal),
foreboding,
uneasiness,
pins and needles,
apprehensiveness
Synonyms of 'suspense'
suspense
Explore 'suspense' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of doubt
Definition
uncertainty about the truth, facts, or existence of something
They were troubled and full of doubt.
Synonyms
uncertainty,
confusion,
hesitation,
dilemma,
scepticism,
misgiving,
suspense,
indecision,
bewilderment,
lack of confidence,
hesitancy,
perplexity,
vacillation,
lack of conviction,
irresolution,
dubiety
in the sense of expectancy
Definition
anticipation or expectation
The atmosphere here at the stadium is one of expectancy.
Synonyms
expectation,
hope,
anticipation,
waiting,
belief,
looking forward,
assumption,
prediction,
probability,
suspense,
presumption,
conjecture,
surmise,
supposition
in the sense of expectation
Definition
something looked forward to, whether feared or hoped for