cliffhanging
Dangling in suspense
Cliffhanging describes something that leaves you in suspense, uncertain of the outcome until the last moment.
A cliffhanging election remains too close to call.
A cliffhanging finish keeps audiences on edge.
The term comes from serialized stories that literally left heroes dangling from cliffs between episodes.
Stretched or strained state
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- nail-bitingExtremely tense or anxious
- edge-of-seatIntensely suspenseful experience
- grippingHolding attention completely
riveting · heart-pounding · pulse-quickening · breathless · thriller · uncertainty · anxiety · foreboding
Steep rock face
- ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
- cragSteep rugged outcrop
- escarpmentSteep slope dividing elevations
- bluffCalculated false front
promontory · ridge · abyss · chasm · rockface · foothold · handhold · outcrop
Point of greatest intensity
- foreshadowingHinting at later events
- denouementStory's final unraveling
- serialOccurring in ordered succession
- episodeSerialized content unit
installment · sequel · storyline · chapter · finale · resolution · protagonist · conflict
Not firmly known
- ambiguousHaving multiple interpretations
- undecidedNot having chosen
- unsettledNot yet resolved
- open-endedLacking fixed boundaries
inconclusive · pending · tentative · unresolved · indeterminate · limbo · suspense · wait-and-see
Exposure to harm
- riskPossibility of harm
- hazardSource of potential harm
- jeopardyRisk of harm
- precariousDangerously insecure
treacherous · life-threatening · fall · plunge · rescue · survival · fatal · death-defying
tension
Stretched or strained state
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- nail-bitingExtremely tense or anxious
- edge-of-seatIntensely suspenseful experience
gripping · riveting · heart-pounding · pulse-quickening · breathless · thriller · uncertainty · anxiety · foreboding · ominous
precipice
Steep rock face
- ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
- cragSteep rugged outcrop
- escarpmentSteep slope dividing elevations
bluff · promontory · ridge · abyss · chasm · rockface · foothold · handhold · outcrop · verge
climax
Point of greatest intensity
- foreshadowingHinting at later events
- denouementStory's final unraveling
- serialOccurring in ordered succession
episode · installment · sequel · storyline · chapter · finale · resolution · protagonist · conflict · drama
uncertain
Not firmly known
open-ended · inconclusive · pending · tentative · unresolved · indeterminate · limbo · suspense · wait-and-see
danger
Exposure to harm
precarious · treacherous · life-threatening · fall · plunge · rescue · survival · fatal · death-defying · harrowing
cliffhanginganticlimactic
Disappointingly weak after buildup
uneventful · resolved · settled · predictable · concluded
cliffhangingconclusive
Ending all debate
resolved · wrapped up · settled · finished · complete
hang, cliff, hanging, hanger, hangs, overhang, overhanging, cliffhanger, overhung