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# suspense

noun (suspense, uncountable)

«suspense» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Suspense is the excited or worried feeling of waiting to find out what will happen next. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#m1)
2. In stories and films, suspense is the tension a writer builds on purpose so that you want to keep reading. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#m2)

### In the lessons

In English lessons, pupils learn to «build suspense» in their writing: short sentences, cliffhangers, hints of danger, slowing down time, questions in the reader's mind, sounds in the dark. «Keep someone in suspense» means making them wait for news. Suspense is a key idea for mystery, adventure and ghost stories. Phrases: «build suspense», «keep in suspense», «full of suspense», «the suspense is killing me».

### Examples

- The story was full of suspense. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#x1)
- Don't keep me in suspense — who won? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#x2)
- Short sentences can build suspense. Then silence. A creak. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#x3)
- The suspense is killing me! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#x4)
- The film's suspense made us hold our breath. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#x5)
- The author ends each chapter in suspense with a cliffhanger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#x6)
- We waited in suspense for our test results. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#x7)
- ‘Ah, Princess!’ said the Queen, ‘don’t keep this poor Percinet in suspense any longer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/#x8)

### Note

Uncountable: «a lot of suspense», not «a suspense». Adjective: «suspenseful». Spelled with «-ense», not «-ence». Related to «suspend» (to hang): you are left "hanging". Do not confuse with «suspension» (being sent off from school, or a car's springs).

## In Jewish tradition

Hosea says Israel hangs back from turning to God.

**Interpretation.** Tradition reads this as the problem of repentance, which is hard to begin even when God waits for it.

### Examples

- And My people are in suspense about returning to Me; and though they call them upwards, none at all will lift himself up. (Prophets HOS.11.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/suspense/#x1)

### Note

Uncountable: «a lot of suspense», not «a suspense». Adjective: «suspenseful». Spelled with «-ense», not «-ence». Related to «suspend» (to hang): you are left "hanging". Do not confuse with «suspension» (being sent off from school, or a car's springs).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «suspense» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suspense/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«suspense» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/suspense.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «suspense» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/suspense/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«suspense» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/suspense.html) on Mova free.