Suspense
/səˈspɛns/
nounB2
Definition
Suspense is the feeling you get when you are waiting to find out what will happen next, often with some worry or excitement. It is common in stories, movies, or real-life situations where the result is not clear and you want to know more.
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See It in Action
A feeling of excitement or worry because you do not know what will happen
- •The movie created a lot of suspense before the hero found the answer.
- •There was suspense in the room as everyone waited for the test results.
- •The suspense made the story very interesting to read.
A situation in a story or event that causes this feeling
- •The suspense in the last chapter kept me reading late into the night.
- •The suspense built slowly as the characters got closer to the secret.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "suspense" like "waiting," but with strong feelings of excitement or nervousness about what will come next.
- ✓Picture sitting at the edge of your seat during a movie, heart beating faster because you don’t know what will happen.
- ✓It's the feeling when you hear a strange noise at night and wonder if something is wrong.
- ✓Sounds like "sus-PENSE" → imagine a "suspense" hanging in the air like a heavy cloud that makes you curious and tense.
- ✓In stories like detective novels or thrillers, suspense keeps you interested because you want to solve the mystery.
- ✓NOT like "surprise" (sudden and quick feeling), suspense lasts longer and builds up slowly.
- ✓NOT like "fear" (strong feeling of danger), suspense is more about curiosity and waiting, sometimes mixed with worry.
Try Other Words
- •Tension: a feeling of nervousness or stress (Use when the focus is more on stress than curiosity)
- •Excitement: a strong feeling of happiness and energy (Use when the feeling is more positive and joyful)
- •Uncertainty: the state of not knowing what will happen (Use when focusing on the unknown without strong feelings)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "sus-" (under, secretly) + "pense" (from Latin "pendere," meaning to hang or weigh) → literally "to hang under" or "to be undecided"
- •Etymology: From Latin "suspensus," past participle of "suspendere," meaning to hang up or keep undecided
- •Historical development: Originally used to describe something hanging or suspended, later used metaphorically for a feeling of waiting or uncertainty
- •Modern usage: Used to describe feelings in stories, movies, or real life when people wait nervously for an important result
Reflect & Connect
•How does suspense make stories or movies more interesting to you personally?
•Can you think of a time in your life when you felt suspense? What was the situation and how did it feel?
Fill in the blanks
1.The suspense in the movie ___ because the ending was a secret until the last minute.
2.When there is suspense, people often feel ___ and want to know what happens next.
3.Suspense is different from surprise because it ___ over time instead of happening suddenly.
4.In a story, suspense usually ___ when the main character faces a problem or danger.
5.The suspense was ___ by the slow music and dark lighting in the scene.
6.People feel suspense when they wait for ___ important news or results.
7.Suspense can make an ordinary event feel ___ and exciting.