Cliffhanger

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ËŒklɪfˈhæŋ.É™(ɹ)/

Alternative forms

• cliff hanger, cliff-hanger

Origin

From cliff + hanger, evoking the image of someone left hanging from a cliff, thereby having an uncertain fate.

Full definition of cliffhanger

Noun

1. (narratology) An ending or stopping point calculated to leave a story unresolved, in order to create suspense.
• 2007, Hilary Hylton, "Filming Texas in a Good Light," Time, 2 Jul.:Back in the early 80s, the hit series Dallas kept the nation guessing with its season-ending cliffhanger "Who Shot J.R.?"
2. (by extension) An outcome which is awaited with keen anticipation, especially one which is delayed for a period of time or which is not known until the last minute.
• 2008, Timothy Garton Ash, "Russia has run rings round the west," Guardian (UK), 28 Feb. (retrieved 2 Feb. 2009):This presidential election is such a cliffhanger. Will it be the rising star Dmitry "Obamovich" Medvedev? Or the veteran Gennady "McCainovich" Zyuganov?

Derived terms

• cliffhang

Related terms

• cliffhanging