suspense
gb/səspˈɛns/ us/səspˈɛns/
B2
English
~ 6500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
excited, anxious feeling about outcome
A strong feeling of worry and excitement when you do not know what will happen next.
Usage pattern:
feel [suspense] about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "suspense" with "suspicion". "Suspense" is a feeling of not knowing what will happen next, often with worry or excitement. "Suspicion" is when you believe someone may be guilty or doing something wrong. Also, "suspense" is uncountable in this sense, so you normally say "a lot of suspense" not "a suspense".
Synonyms
tension (Focuses more on nervous tightness or stress, not always about waiting for an outcome.)
|
anticipation (Emphasizes looking forward to something; can be positive, with less focus on anxiety.)
|
anxiety (Stronger feeling of worry or fear, without necessarily including excitement.)
Antonyms
relief (The feeling when suspense or worry ends and you feel safe or calm again.)
|
calm (A relaxed state with no feeling of worried waiting.)
Collocations
feel suspense
|wait in suspense
|sense of suspense
|filled with suspense
|suspense mounts
|left in suspense
Themes
emotions
|entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She waited in suspense for the doctor to call with the test results.
- There was a moment of absolute suspense as everyone watched the envelope being opened.
- He listened in suspense, hoping to hear his name announced as the winner.
- The crowd held its breath in suspense as the ball flew toward the goal.
- Hours of suspense finally ended when the plane landed safely.
Learner examples
- We sat in suspense, waiting for the final score.
- He felt great suspense before his job interview.
- The suspense was terrible while I waited for her answer.
- Everyone was in suspense until the lights came back on.
- She could not sleep because of the suspense about her exam.
Noun
B2
property
2
tension quality in stories or films
The way a book, movie, or show makes you feel worried and excited because you want to know what happens next.
Usage pattern:
[something] creates [suspense]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "a suspense movie" when they mean a movie that is mainly in the suspense genre. In modern English, people more often say "a suspenseful movie" or "a thriller". However, collocations like "suspense novel" and "suspense film" are used in publishing and marketing, so both patterns appear.
Synonyms
thrill (Highlights excitement and emotional impact; may include action or danger, not only uncertainty.)
|
tension (Stresses the tight, nervous atmosphere rather than the narrative technique itself.)
Antonyms
predictability (Describes a story where events are easy to guess, so there is little or no suspense.)
|
boredom (A feeling of having no interest or excitement, the opposite of suspenseful entertainment.)
Collocations
build suspense
|create suspense
|full of suspense
|suspense novel
|suspense movie
|edge-of-your-seat suspense
Themes
entertainment
|media
|arts_entertainment
|emotions
Examples
- The film relies more on suspense than on jump scares.
- Good crime writers know how to build suspense chapter by chapter.
- There isn't much suspense in the middle of the book, but the ending is surprising.
- The director uses silence to create suspense before the final scene.
- I love the suspense in this series; every episode ends on a cliff-hanger.
Learner examples
- The movie has a lot of suspense.
- The writer builds suspense very slowly.
- Music was used to create suspense in the scene.
- This TV show is full of suspense and mystery.
- I enjoy books with strong suspense.
Noun
formal
C1
state
3
state of being undecided or pending
A formal way to say that something has not been decided yet and is still waiting for a result or decision.
Usage pattern:
hold [something] in [suspense]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this formal sense in everyday conversation when the emotional sense is more natural. In daily speech, people usually talk about "waiting" or "not having a decision yet" rather than saying something is "in suspense" in this formal way.
Synonyms
uncertainty (General word for not being sure; less formal and not always about an official decision.)
|
pending status (Emphasizes that something is officially waiting to be decided or completed.)
Antonyms
resolution (When a problem or case is finally decided or solved, ending the period of suspense.)
|
finality (The quality of being finished and not likely to change.)
Collocations
matter in suspense
|hold in suspense
|kept in suspense
|left in suspense until
|case remains in suspense
Themes
business
|law
Examples
- The question of funding remains in suspense until the board meets next month.
- The contract was held in suspense while the legal issues were reviewed.
- Negotiations are currently in suspense pending further information from the regulator.
Learner examples
- The final plan is still in suspense.
- The case stayed in suspense for many months.
- Our project is in suspense until we get more money.
- Their decision is in suspense at the moment.
- The deal remains in suspense because the bank has not answered.
Grammar
Dictionary form
suspense
IPA
GB/səspˈɛns/
US/səspˈɛns/
Syllables & stress
sus - pense (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pense)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: suspense
- Plural: suspense
Word family
Core family
suspenseful
adjective
Related words
Expressions
in suspense
1/ˈɪn səspˈɛns/
fixed phrase
anxiously waiting for result
Waiting in a worried and excited way because you do not know what will happen.
Examples
- The audience was kept in suspense until the very last scene.
- I hate being in suspense about my exam results.
keep someone in suspense
1/kˈip sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn səspˈɛns/
fixed phrase
make someone wait anxiously
To not tell someone something, so they must wait in a worried and excited way to find out.
Examples
- Don't keep me in suspense—just tell me what happened!
- The host kept the contestants in suspense before announcing the winner.
leave someone in suspense
1/lˈiv sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn səspˈɛns/
fixed phrase
not ending someone's suspense
To not give someone an answer or result, so they continue to wait in a worried and excited way.
Examples
- Her email left us in suspense about whether the trip was really canceled.
- The season finale left viewers in suspense for months.
the suspense is killing me
1/ðə səspˈɛns ˈɪz kˈɪlɪŋ mˈi/
idiom
informal
humorous complaint about waiting
Said in a funny way when you really want to know something and waiting feels very hard.
Examples
- Just tell us who won— the suspense is killing me!
- The suspense is killing me; did she say yes or no?