Aposiopesis
Breaking off mid-sentence and leaving it unfinished — why, I ought to—
Full definition of Aposiopesis →:: COMPARE ::
AposiopesisvsEllipsis
The short answer
An ellipsis says material has been left out. Aposiopesis says a speaker stopped. One is an omission in the text; the other is something happening to the person talking.
Side by side
| Aspect | Aposiopesis | Ellipsis |
|---|---|---|
| Something was omitted | Never said | Yes |
| Cause | Emotion, threat, refusal | Editing |
| Reader supplies | The worst version | The missing text |
| Is an event | Yes | No |
What each one means
Ellipsis
The contrast above sets out how Ellipsis differs from Aposiopesis on the points that actually matter.