deus ex machina

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Any resolution to a story that does not pay due regard to the story's internal logic and…

   Any resolution to a story that does not pay due regard to the story's internal logic and that is so unlikely that it challenges suspension of disbelief, and presumably allows the author, director, or developer to end the story in the way that they desired.

   • Near-synonym: (vulgar, slang) ass-pull
   • The women who merge in the final pages leave me unsettled and depressed. Their future is grim. There is no deus ex machina to save them.
   • The repeated tactic of deus ex machina (without a deus) has a deplorable effect on both the plot and the dialogue.
2. 2

   A contrived solution to a problem, relying on an agent external to the situation.

   • The belief that a cure for cancer is being withheld by vested interests is a long-standing one. It is often used as a universal deus ex machina for those pushing an alternative alleged cure […]
3. 3

   A deity in Greek and Roman drama who was brought in by stage machinery to intervene in a…

   A deity in Greek and Roman drama who was brought in by stage machinery to intervene in a difficult situation (i.e., to resolve a crisis, or untangle issues surrounding it, a character logically expected to do so).

   • I was going to wait for Monsieur Hyppolyte and, like a craven, hand the whole thing over to him. Let the deus ex machina fly in out of the clouds...
4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      A machine used to bring an actor playing a god onto the stage, either up through a…

      A machine used to bring an actor playing a god onto the stage, either up through a trapdoor or (e.g. by crane) from above.

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