Definition of "aposiopesis" [ap•o•si•o•pe•sis]

• A sudden breaking off of a thought in the middle of a sentence, as though the speaker were unwilling or unable to continue. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "LOL It's called aposiopesis when you end a sentence with an ellipsis; look it up."
• "Also, when writing a statement using aposiopesis should use an em dash, rather then an ellipsis."
• "No, aposiopesis means stopping a sentence short, which you did not do."