noun
cliffhanger
Cliffhanger (noun) means a dramatic ending that leaves a story unfinished so the audience is left wondering what happens next.
noun
1
A dramatic ending that leaves a story unfinished so the audience is left wondering what happens next.
"Back in the early 80s, the hit series Dallas kept the nation guessing with its season-ending cliffhanger "Who Shot J.R.?""
— Hilary Hylton, Filming Texas in a Good Light (2007)
2
A result that people wait for eagerly, especially one that stays unclear until the very end.
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Etymology
From cliff + hanger, evoking the image of someone left hanging from a cliff, thereby having an uncertain fate. The term cliffhanger is considered to have originated with the serialized version of Thomas Hardy's A Pair of Blue Eyes, published in Tinsley's Magazine in the 1870s, in which the character Henry Knight is left hanging off of a cliff. It was inspired by a real life story from his wife Emma's childhood, when she had to rescue one of her school friends from a similar position.
Antonyms
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Rhymes for cliffhanger
See all rhymes for cliffhanger →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of cliffhanger?
"cliffhanger" (noun) means a dramatic ending that leaves a story unfinished so the audience is left wondering what happens next.
What is the opposite of cliffhanger?
The opposite of "cliffhanger" is anticlimax.
What are the different meanings of cliffhanger?
"cliffhanger" has 2 main meanings: 1. A dramatic ending that leaves a story unfinished so the audience is left wondering what happens next; 2. A result that people wait for eagerly, especially one that stays unclear until the very end.
