Also used: real page-turner
Meaning of Idiom ‘Page-Turner’
A page-turner is a book that is so exciting and engrossing that you cannot stop reading it; a very good book that keeps the reader interested throughout; a book one wants to read quickly without stopping. 1,2,3
The idiom ‘page-turner’ is often paired with intensifiers such as real, such a, quite a, etc. Among these, ‘a real page-turner’ is the most common variant.
This idiom usually refers to books but it may also apply to other written works. When boring written works are referred to, the idiom can be used sarcastically. While it is sometimes used to refer to things other than books, referring to a person as a page-turner is probably not the best use of this idiom.
Sentence Examples
“I didn’t think I would like this book but it turned out to be a real page-turner.”
“If you want a long page-turner then I recommend The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s my favorite book.”
“The Hunger Games trilogy is what you call a page-turner. They are probably the most addictive books of all time.”
“The first book in the series was quite a page-turner but after that, the other books went downhill.”
“Oh, now, this is actually a real page-turner.” “The Life of Gandhi? I… No, but he…” “Nobody has ever been quite so cool as him.” — Dan in Real Life (2007)
“Hey, Dave, she read your play. She thinks it’s great.” “Yes, I read your play. It’s thrilling, turbulent, a page-turner.” — Bullets Over Broadway (1995)
“Give me the rest of it to read when you’re finished. Deal? You’ve got a real page-turner here. I can’t wait to see how it ends.” — The Family (2013)
“”We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…” See what I mean? It grabs you right off the bat. This is a page-turner.” — The American President (1995)
“Mr. Morgan, I have the depositions on the Anderson case for you. Excellent. I hear it’s a page-turner.” — Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009)
Origin
Page-turner was first seen in print in 1972. 4 The idiom refers to being compelled to turn the pages of a book to find out what happens next.
- Definition of page-turner from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press
- “Page-turner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/page-turner. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
- “page-turner.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. 2015. Farlex, Inc 5 Oct. 2024 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/page-turner
- “Page-turner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/page-turner. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.