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Thriller vs Suspense - What's the difference?

thriller | suspense |

As nouns the difference between thriller and suspense

is that thriller is something that thrills while suspense is the condition of being suspended; cessation for a time.

As an adjective suspense is

(obsolete) held or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding.

thriller

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Something that thrills.
  • *{{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=December 29 , author=Paul Doyle , title=Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle , work=The Guardian citation , page= , passage=While Arsenal had enjoyed a Boxing Day break thanks to the cancellation of their game against West Ham, Newcastle had come out of the wrong end of a thriller at Old Trafford and Pardew said that strain accounted for his side conceding four goals at the Emirates after Demba Ba had drawn Newcastle level for the third time in the 69th minute.}}
  • (chiefly) A suspenseful, sensational genre of story, book, play or film.
  • Synonyms

    * pulp novel

    Hyponyms

    * horror movie, hardboiled crime fiction

    Hypernyms

    * detective story, mystery novel, whodunit, crime fiction

    See also

    * chiller ----

    suspense

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete)

    Noun

    (-)
  • The condition of being suspended; cessation for a time.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • a cool suspense from pleasure and from pain
  • the pleasurable emotion of anticipation and excitement regarding the outcome or climax of a book, film etc.
  • The unpleasant emotion of anxiety or apprehension in an uncertain situation.
  • * Denham
  • Ten days the prophet in suspense remained.
  • (legal) A temporary cessation of one's right; suspension, as when the rent or other profits of land cease by unity of possession of land and rent.
  • Derived terms

    * suspenseful

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Held or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding.
  • * Milton
  • [The great light of day] suspense in heaven.
  • (obsolete) Expressing, or proceeding from, suspense or doubt.
  • * Milton
  • Expectation held his look suspense .
    ----