climax

[klahy-maks]

noun

1. the highest or most intense point in the development or resolution of something; culmination.

   His career reached its climax when he was elected president.

   Synonyms: apex, acme, zenith, summit

2. (in a dramatic or literary work) a decisive moment that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point in a plot.

3. Rhetoric.

   1. a figure consisting of a series of related ideas so arranged that each surpasses the preceding in force or intensity.

   2. the last term or member of this figure.

4. an orgasm.

5. Ecology.,  the stable and self-perpetuating end stage in the ecological succession or evolution of a plant and animal community.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to bring to or reach a climax.

climax

/ ˈklaɪmæks /

noun

1. the most intense or highest point of an experience or of a series of events

   the party was the climax of the week

2. a decisive moment in a dramatic or other work

3. a rhetorical device by which a series of sentences, clauses, or phrases are arranged in order of increasing intensity

4. ecology the stage in the development of a community during which it remains stable under the prevailing environmental conditions

5. Also called: sexual climax. (esp in referring to women) another word for orgasm

verb

1. to reach or bring to a climax

Other Word Forms

• hyperclimax noun
• unclimaxed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of climax¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Late Latin, from Greek klîmax “ladder,” akin to klī́nein “to lean”

Word History and Origins

Origin of climax¹

C16: from Late Latin, from Greek klimax ladder

Related Words

• capstone 
• turning point 

When To Use

What does climax mean?

A climax is the most intense, decisive point of something, especially in a story or film.