- a situation of imminent disaster usually occurring at the end of each episode of a serialized film
- the serialized film itself
- a situation that is dramatic or uncertain
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cliffhanger /ˈklɪfˌhæŋə/ n
ˈcliff-ˌhang•er or ˈcliffˌhang•er,
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a situation in which the outcome is uncertain up to the very last moment.
cliff-hang•er
(klif′hang′ər),USA pronunciation n.
- a melodramatic adventure serial in which each installment ends in suspense in order to interest the reader or viewer in the next installment.
- a situation or contest of which the outcome is suspensefully uncertain up to the very last moment:The game was a cliff-hanger, but our team finally won.
- 1935–40, American.