SUSPENSEFUL Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

suspenseful

adjective

Definition of suspenseful

as in enthralling

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of suspenseful Paranormal Activity understands just how much fun that can be, crafting a story so suspenseful, so surprising and so startling that the audience’s screams become a soundtrack all their own. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Watch On Despite containing a plot summary in its title and a tepid reception when it was released, director Andrew Dominik’s meditative film manages to be both suspenseful and insightful. — David Faris, TheWeek, 21 Aug. 2026 The Coen brothers’ quiet debut film is among their most suspenseful works. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 None of this is remotely credible, or particularly suspenseful. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 Through engaging characters and an immersive historical setting, the novel invites readers on a suspenseful journey filled with mystery, sacrifice, and hope. — William Jones, USA Today, 30 July 2026 The suspenseful shark sequences in an underwater cage where two distressed heroines Tatiana (Laura Marano) and Kaley (Christina Ochoa) get trapped are shockingly good while a third act ratchets up the blood and the tension. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Set in occupied Poland in the middle of the Second World War, Holoubek’s tour de force is part suspenseful western, part gritty wartime noir. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 July 2026 Unlike an actual sporting event, of course, the outcome is engineered, which doesn’t make the golf scenes less suspenseful or exciting for the viewer. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspenseful

Adjective

Richet turns the ship into an enthralling character, with its pipes and catwalks and tunnels and tubes, some of which become weaponry.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Cameron’s enthralling action epic still looks stunning four decades later.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of enthralling

Adjective

In 2022, the author of this engrossing investigation travelled to Lagos, Nigeria, to find the person who, years earlier, ensnared his mother in an online romance scam.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
The most engrossing aspect of the relationship is that it’s maintained tension.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 June 2026

Definition of engrossing

Adjective

Thematically, though, the late swerve is fully all of a piece with Oren’s riveting exploration of the nature of desire, and how that can reframe our relationship to the natural world around us.

— Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
With riveting storytelling, the novel could never have been authored by AI.

— Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of riveting

Adjective

The house is about nine miles from Shrewsbury, putting it close to the charming market town’s restaurants and shops, with London reachable in under three hours.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026
Cook will play Elias Clarke, who is handsome, charming, and quietly persuasive.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of charming

Adjective

Something can be beloved, complex, and captivating and still not be a planet; there is liberation—redemption, even—in realizing this world remains undiminished.

— Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026
Along with a captivating Portuguese tile mural, the kitchen overlooks the lake and features a sunlit breakfast area, while a casual sitting room has a stone fireplace and coffered ceiling.

— Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of captivating

Adjective

However, the aliens’ secondary revelation is far more intriguing.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
The intriguing subplot is whether CBS will try to void the final four years (and $72 million) of Romo’s regrettable 10-year, $180 million deal by citing a moral clause that is standard in broadcast contracts.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of intriguing

Adjective

This visually stunning documentary series captures the gripping cat-and-mouse game between investigators and perpetrators from up close.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
His account of his incarceration, with its mind-numbing routines, gang hegemony and intermittent violence, is equally gripping.

— Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of gripping

Adjective

The angled sides create a visually interesting silhouette, while the glass front distinguishes it from a mere box of wood.

— Evan Russum, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2026
Classic notes are also growing up this season—tonka is vanilla’s more interesting older sister, able to shift from woody to dry to nutty, depending on the present company.

— Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of interesting

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suspense

suspenseful

suspenseless

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“Suspenseful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspenseful. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of suspenseful

adjective

Example Sentences

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