Definitions for cliffhanger
cliffhan·ger

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cliffhangernoun

   a contest whose outcome is uncertain up to the very end

2. cliffhangernoun

   an episode that ends in suspense

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. cliffhangernoun

   An ending or stopping point calculated to leave a story unresolved, in order to create suspense.

2. cliffhangernoun

   An outcome which is awaited with keen anticipation, especially one which is delayed for a period of time or which is not known until the last minute.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Cliffhanger

   A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is 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 or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhanger is hoped to incentivize the audience to return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma. Some serials end with the caveat, "To Be Continued" or "The End?". In serial films and television series the following episode sometimes begins with a recap sequence. Cliffhangers were used as literary devices in several works of the Middle Ages with One Thousand and One Nights ending on a cliffhanger each night. Cliffhangers appeared as an element of the Victorian era serial novel that emerged in the 1840s, with many associating the form with Charles Dickens, a pioneer of the serial publication of narrative fiction. Following the enormous success of Dickens, by the 1860s cliffhanger endings had become a staple part of the sensation serials.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cliffhanger

   A cliffhanger is a storytelling technique where a narrative or episode ends at a suspenseful, often dramatic point, leaving the readers or viewers uncertain about the outcome. This is usually done to create anticipation for the next part or installment, making the audience eager to know what happens next. Cliffhangers are commonly used in television series, serial novels, and cinema.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Cliffhanger

   A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is 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 of serialized fiction. A cliffhanger is hoped to ensure the audience will return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma. The phrase is believed to come from the end-of-episode situation in adventure silent films of the early 1900s, with the protagonist literally left hanging from the edge of a cliff, although the oldest usage the Oxford English Dictionary has is from 1937. Some serials end with the caveat "To Be Continued..." or "The End?" In movie serials and television series, and in the Star Wars films the following episode sometimes begins with a recap sequence.

Matched Categories

1. • Contest
   • Episode

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. [["1855","1"],["1878","1"],["1914","2"],["1931","1"],["1937","1"],["1941","3"],["1942","3"],["1943","1"],["1945","1"],["1947","4"],["1948","7"],["1949","1"],["1950","2"],["1951","5"],["1952","4"],["1953","1"],["1954","2"],["1955","4"],["1956","2"],["1957","7"],["1958","7"],["1959","5"],["1960","4"],["1961","8"],["1962","18"],["1963","13"],["1964","7"],["1965","17"],["1966","18"],["1967","22"],["1968","58"],["1969","35"],["1970","44"],["1971","32"],["1972","134"],["1973","137"],["1974","39"],["1975","51"],["1976","81"],["1977","113"],["1978","83"],["1979","104"],["1980","65"],["1981","119"],["1982","120"],["1983","132"],["1984","115"],["1985","133"],["1986","158"],["1987","163"],["1988","147"],["1989","178"],["1990","174"],["1991","209"],["1992","244"],["1993","174"],["1994","304"],["1995","307"],["1996","330"],["1997","315"],["1998","359"],["1999","363"],["2000","518"],["2001","411"],["2002","567"],["2003","670"],["2004","782"],["2005","763"],["2006","785"],["2007","816"],["2008","685"]]

How to pronounce cliffhanger?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say cliffhanger in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of cliffhanger in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of cliffhanger in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of cliffhanger in a Sentence

1. Jonathan Alger:

   The entire space is cinematic, at the time, every single minute and second, it was a cliffhanger.

2. Eugen Weinberg:

   Risk appetite among financial investors is now likely to remain high thanks to the deal between the U.S. and China and the forthcoming end to the Brexit cliffhanger, this will also benefit the oil price.

3. Senate Republicans:

   Bibi v. Election Day in Israel - Election Day in Israel’s Election Day in Israel. Turnout is high for the cliffhanger vote that might end up ousting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Haaretz has a nifty live blog to track turnout and the results. Polls close at 4 p.m. ET. HOUSE GOP PREVIEWS BALANCED BUDGET, OBAMACARE REPEAL WashEx :.

4. William McConico:

   I don’t know if they even know who the person was that was advocating in her own way for him, that’s still a cliffhanger right now.

5. Justin Hartley:

   There is a cliffhanger, he didn't die an old man. He didn't live a long, long life... it's sudden, it's unexpected, it's very tragic.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=cliffhanger
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Cliffhanger
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffhanger
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=cliffhanger
6. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=cliffhanger