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Webster 1913 Edition

Suspense

Sus-pense′

,
Adj.
[F.
suspens
, L.
suspensus
, p. p. of
suspendere
. See
Suspend
.]
1.
Held or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding.
[Obs.]
[The great light of day]
suspense
in heaven.
Milton.
2.
Expressing, or proceeding from, suspense or doubt.
[Obs.]
“Expectation held his look suspense.”
Milton.

Sus-pense′

,
Noun.
[From F.
suspens
, a. See
Suspense
,
Adj.
]
1.
The state of being suspended; specifically, a state of uncertainty and expectation, with anxiety or apprehension; indetermination; indecision;
as, the
suspense
of a person waiting for the verdict of a jury
.
Ten days the prophet in
suspense
remained.
Denham.
Upon the ticklish balance of
suspense
.
Cowper.
2.
Cessation for a time; stop; pause.
A cool
suspense
from pleasure and from pain.
Pope.
3.
[Cf. F.
suspense
.]
(Law)
A temporary cessation of one’s right; suspension, as when the rent or other profits of land cease by unity of possession of land and rent.
Suspense account
(Bookkeeping)
,
an account in which receipts or disbursements are temporarily entered until their proper position in the books is determined.

Webster 1828 Edition

Suspense

SUSPENSE

,
Noun.
suspens'. [L. suspensus.] A state of uncertainty; indetermination; indecision. A man's mind is in suspense, when it is balancing the weight of different arguments or considerations, or when it is uncertain respecting facts unknown, or events not in his own power.
Ten days the prophet in suspense remain'd.
1.
Stop; cessation for a time.
A cool suspense from pleasure or from pain.
2.
In law, suspension; a temporary cessation of a man's right; as when the rent or other profits of land cease by unity of possession of land and rent.

SUSPENSE

,
Adj.
suspens'. Held from proceeding. [Little used.]

Definition 2024

suspense

suspense

English

Alternative forms

Noun

suspense ‎(usually uncountable, plural suspenses)

  1. The condition of being suspended; cessation for a time.
    • Alexander Pope
      a cool suspense from pleasure and from pain
  2. the pleasurable emotion of anticipation and excitement regarding the outcome or climax of a book, film etc.
  3. The unpleasant emotion of anxiety or apprehension in an uncertain situation.
    • Denham
      Ten days the prophet in suspense remained.
  4. (law) A temporary cessation of one's right; suspension, as when the rent or other profits of land cease by unity of possession of land and rent.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

suspense ‎(not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Held or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding.
    • Milton
      [The great light of day] suspense in heaven.
  2. (obsolete) Expressing, or proceeding from, suspense or doubt.
    • Milton
      Expectation held his look suspense.

French

Etymology 1

Nominalisation of the feminine form of suspens.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sys.pɑ̃ns/

Noun

suspense f ‎(plural suspenses)

  1. suspense (state of being suspended)

Etymology 2

Borrowing from English suspense, itself from Old French.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sys.pɛns/

Noun

suspense m ‎(plural suspenses)

  1. suspense (emotion; feeling)
    Cet acteur a joué dans plusieurs films à suspense.‎
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Galician

Etymology

French suspense, from English.

Noun

suspense m ‎(plural suspenses)

  1. suspense
  2. thriller

Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English suspense

Noun

suspense f ‎(invariable)

  1. suspense (all senses)

Latin

Participle

suspense

  1. vocative masculine singular of suspensus

References

Portuguese

Noun

suspense m (plural suspenses)

  1. suspense (the excited anticipation of an outcome)
  2. (fiction) thriller (a suspenseful, sensational genre of fiction)

Spanish

Etymology

French suspense, from English.

Noun

suspense m ‎(plural suspenses)

  1. suspense
  2. thriller

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman suspens as in en suspens, from Old French suspens.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /səˈspɛns/
  • Rhymes: -ɛns

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