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Denouement: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Denouement noun. The final part of a story, in which the threads of the plot are drawn together and things are explained.
How to say it
day-NOO-mon/deɪˈnuːmɒ̃/ · American /ˌdeɪnuːˈmɑ̃ː/
3 syllables, stressed on the second (NOO). Forms: dénouement.
Denouement in a sentence
The detective gathers everyone in the library for the denouement.
After the noise of the election, the denouement was strangely quiet: a handshake on a damp morning.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- resolution
- conclusion
- climax
- finale
Opposite:
- exposition
Where denouement comes from
From French dénouement, an untying, from dénouer, to untie a knot.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
After the noise of the election, the _____ was strangely quiet: a handshake on a damp morning.
- deus ex machina
- obelus
- denouement
Show the answer
denouement: After the noise of the election, the denouement was strangely quiet: a handshake on a damp morning.