cliffhanger
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
an ending to an episode or book that leaves the main characters in a dangerous or difficult situation.
a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode.
Simple“The season finale ended on a huge cliffhanger, and now we have to wait months for the next episode.”
In context“The screenwriter masterfully employed a cliffhanger at the end of the second act, ensuring the audience would return after the commercial break.”
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a real-life situation where the result is not known until the very last moment.
a situation, such as a contest or election, whose outcome is uncertain and remains in suspense until the final moments.
Simple“The election was a real cliffhanger, with the final votes being counted late into the night.”
In context“The championship match turned into a total cliffhanger as both teams remained tied until the final seconds of overtime.”
“It’s a moving look at survival and hope, with cliffhangers galore and gags about Frazzles crisps.”
From cliff + hanger, evoking the image of someone left hanging from a cliff, thereby having an uncertain fate. The term "cliffhanger" is considered to have originated with the serialised version of Thomas Hardy's "A Pair of Blue Eyes", published in Tinsley's Magazine in the 1870s, in which the character Henry Knight is left hanging off of a cliff. It was inspired by a real life story from his wife Emma's childhood, when she had to rescue one of her school friends from a similar position.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.