aposiopesis
/ˌæpəsaɪəˈpiːsɪs/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 0.00 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "—"My ſiſter, mayhap," quoth my uncle Toby, "does not chooſe to let a man come ſo near her ****" Make this daſh—'tis an Apoſiopeſis.—Take the daſh away, and write Backſide,—'tis Bawdy."
- "Aposiopesis leaves imperfect sense; And, sometimes, such a pause speaks eloquence."
- "“If you are not—” The aposiopesis was icy."
- "“Have fire in this garret before night or—” / He stopped because he could not go on. It was an aposiopesis of the purest kind."
- "This somewhat abrupt ending (or aposiopesis) is caused by a previous movement from the figure on the bed."
Etymology
From Latin aposiopesis, from Ancient Greek ἀποσιώπησις (aposiṓpēsis), from ἀποσιωπάω (aposiōpáō, “be silent”), from ἀπό (apó, “off, from”) + σιωπάω (siōpáō, “to be silent”).