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Hypsos is a Greek philosophical concept comparable to the modern concept of the sublime, or a moment that brings oral speech to an astonishing and monumental pause. Its root hypso- literally means "aloft", "height", or "on high". However, a distinguishing feature of hypsos in rhetorical studies is that it “combines conflicting emotions: fear and awe, horror and fascinations.[1]” It is a climactic moment in speech that generates uncertainty for the audience.