suspend
suspend (one's) disbelief
To ignore or look past one's incredulity at the improbability of some piece of fiction, especially a film or video game, in order to better enjoy the experience of the work. I'm more than willing to suspend my disbelief a little for a cheesy action film. I find that I can never really suspend my disbelief when I watch a movie that's crammed full of CGI.
See also: disbelief, suspend
suspend (someone or something) by (something)
To use something as a means of hanging someone or something from an elevated point or fixture. Often used in passive constructions. They suspended me by a safety harness on the end of a cable to grab the young woman from the tree. The airplanes in the diorama were suspended by pieces of fishing line.
See also: by, suspend
suspend from (something)
1. To force one to stop attending or participating in some activity, usually on a temporary basis as a form of punishment. A noun or pronoun is used between "suspend" and "from"; often used in passive constructions. The officer has been suspended from duty while the department investigates his actions. As a result of your actions, I'm afraid we have no choice but to suspend you from school for a week.
2. To cause someone or something to hang from some elevated point or fixture. A noun or pronoun is used between "suspend" and "from"; often used in passive constructions. The performers were suspended from the ceiling during the routine, created quite the impressive spectacle. We can suspend the balloons from the chandelier.
See also: suspend
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
suspend someone from something
to prevent someone from participating in something. (Usually as a form of discipline.) The principal suspended the student from classes for a week. Ted was suspended from school for three days.
See also: suspend
suspend someone or something from something
to hang someone or something from something. The hangman suspended the thief from a gibbet as a warning to others. Jill suspended each decoration from a different branch.
See also: suspend
suspend something by something
to hang something by something. The workers carefully positioned the stone that was suspended by a steel cable. Will suspended the decoration by a fine thread.
See also: by, suspend
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
suspend disbelief
To accept as plausible something one knows to be untrue, especially the setting and plot of a drama or fiction so as to allow the appreciation of art.
See also: disbelief, suspend
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
- disbelief
- suspend (one's) disbelief
- suspend disbelief
- never in my life
- why in God's name
- ghost
- ghost someone
- Who would have thought it?
- believe one's own eyes, one cannot
- my, my