Poetic Terms Dictionary
Figure of Speech

Ellipsis

From Greek elleipsis: a falling short. Valued in classical rhetoric for concision; the syntactic gap forces the reader into active co-creation of meaning.

Definition

The omission of words readily implied by context, creating compression, urgency, or pregnant silence.

Example

'She left. Without a word.' — 'without saying a word' is implied; the omission dramatises the abruptness.

Related Terms

Asyndeton Aposiopesis Compression Brevity