Plot twist - 英语词汇详解

Meaning 1：plot twist (Plot twist)

Plot twist 🔊

/plɒt twɪst/

When a story changes in a surprising way that you didn't expect.

plot twist 🔊

➕

/plɒt twɪst/

A sudden and surprising change in the direction or outcome of a story, often subverting the audience's expectations.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Plot (story plan) + twist (turn). Combined: a surprising turn in a narrative.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a rope being twisted: a plot twist is an unexpected turn in the story's rope.

📖 Example

The plot twist where the hero's best friend was the villain all along made everyone gasp in the cinema. 🔊 The plot twist where the hero's best friend was the villain all along made everyone gasp in the cinema.

🔗 Collocations

unexpected plot twist – a plot twist that is not anticipated

major plot twist – a significant plot twist that greatly changes the story

final plot twist – the last surprising turn in a story, often at the end

🔄 Synonyms

surprise ending (n.) – An ending that is unexpected and changes the perceived narrative.

turn of events (n.) – A change in the situation, often unexpected.

revelation (n.) – A surprising fact that is disclosed, altering understanding.

🚫 Antonyms

predictable outcome (n.) – An ending that can be easily foreseen.

📖 Cultural Story

The concept dates back to Aristotle's 'Poetics' where 'peripeteia' describes a sudden reversal of fortune. Modern usage emerged in early 20th-century literary criticism.