Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

cliffhanger

 - 2 dictionary results

cliff-hang⋅er

[klif-hang-er]
–noun
1. a melodramatic adventure serial in which each installment ends in suspense in order to interest the reader or viewer in the next installment.
2. a situation or contest of which the outcome is suspensefully uncertain up to the very last moment: The game was a cliff-hanger, but our team finally won.
Also, cliffhanger.


Origin:
1935–40, Americanism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To cliffhanger
cliff·hang·er   (klĭf'hāng'ər)   
n.  
  1. A melodramatic serial in which each episode ends in suspense.

  2. A suspenseful situation occurring at the end of a chapter, scene, or episode.

  3. A contest so closely matched that the outcome is uncertain until the end.

cliff'hang'ing adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see cliffhanger on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: