whodunit
[hudˈʌnɪt] /hü-ˈdə-nət How to pronounce whodunit (audio)/ (ame, mw)
whodunit — noun
1. a book, film, or play in which a serious crime occurs — most often a killing — a
a book, film, or play in which a serious crime occurs — most often a killing — and the main focus is on finding out who is to blame
I borrowed a classic whodunit — a dead woman in a locked room — and stayed up all night.
collocation: classic whodunit
The film starts like a whodunit, with a body found in a locked room.
passive: body found in [location]; typical whodunit setup
My grandmother watches old whodunit movies and always tries to guess the killer before the detective.
A good whodunit keeps the reader guessing until the very last page.
The author writes clever whodunits set in English villages, where a detective uncovers hidden motives.
- mystery
broader term that can include non-crime puzzles and supernatural stories
- detective story
more formal and emphasises the role of a detective character
- crime novel
broader category that includes stories where the criminal's identity may be known from the start
用法筆記
Informal word formed from a jocular misspelling of 'Who done it?' (non-standard English for 'Who did it?'). The variant spelling 'whodunnit' (with double 'n') is common in British English. Use in casual contexts; for formal writing, prefer 'mystery novel' or 'detective story.'