suspense C2 Topic:Law & Government Also spelled suspence US /səˈspɛns/ See IPA manual Freq #13213 Meanings 1 noun an uncertain cognitive state The matter remained in suspense for several years. 2 noun excited anticipation of an approaching climax The play kept the audience in suspense. 3 noun apprehension about what is going to happen We are waiting with great suspense to hear news from the doctors. 4 noun The condition of being suspended; cessation for a time. For thee the Fates, severely kind, ordain / A cool suspense from pleasure and from pain; / Thy life a long dead calm of fix'd repose; / No pulse that riots, and no blood that glows. Thesaurus Word family Derived forms suspenseful Common collocations suspense account Noun + noun Etymology From Middle English suspense, suspence, from Anglo-Norman suspens (as in en suspens) and Old French suspens, from Latin suspēnsus. Topics Law & Government External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # suspense **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /səˈspɛns/ **Frequency rank:** 13213 ## Meanings 1. an uncertain cognitive state 2. excited anticipation of an approaching climax 3. apprehension about what is going to happen 4. The condition of being suspended; cessation for a time. ## Examples - The matter remained in suspense for several years. - The play kept the audience in suspense. - We are waiting with great suspense to hear news from the doctors. - For thee the Fates, severely kind, ordain / A cool suspense from pleasure and from pain; / Thy life a long dead calm of fix'd repose; / No pulse that riots, and no blood that glows. ## Derived Forms - suspenseful ## Etymology From Middle English suspense, suspence, from Anglo-Norman suspens (as in en suspens) and Old French suspens, from Latin suspēnsus. ## Topics - Law & Government markdown