climax
Americannoun
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climaxes
plural
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the highest or most intense point in the development or resolution of something; culmination.
His career reached its climax when he was elected president.
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(in a dramatic or literary work) a decisive moment that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point in a plot.
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Rhetoric.
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a figure consisting of a series of related ideas so arranged that each surpasses the preceding in force or intensity.
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the last term or member of this figure.
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an orgasm.
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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)
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climaxes,
present (3rd person singular)
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climaxed,
past participle, past
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climaxing
present participle
noun
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the most intense or highest point of an experience or of a series of events
the party was the climax of the week
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a decisive moment in a dramatic or other work
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a rhetorical device by which a series of sentences, clauses, or phrases are arranged in order of increasing intensity
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ecology the stage in the development of a community during which it remains stable under the prevailing environmental conditions
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Also called: sexual climax. (esp in referring to women) another word for orgasm
verb
Usage
What does climax mean? A climax is the most intense, decisive point of something, especially in a story or film.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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climaxsimple
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climaxessimple
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have climaxedperfect
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has climaxedperfect
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am climaxingprogressive
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are climaxingprogressive
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is climaxingprogressive
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have been climaxingperfect progressive
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has been climaxingperfect progressive
Past
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climaxedsimple
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had climaxedperfect
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was climaxingprogressive
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were climaxingprogressive
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had been climaxingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of climax
First recorded in 1580–90; from Late Latin, from Greek klîmax “ladder,” akin to klī́nein “to lean”
Explanation
When something — like a movie or piece of music — reaches its most important or exciting part, that's the climax. A climax is a high point. When you're on a roller coaster and you reach the highest point, that's the climax of the ride. This word is also used often in art and entertainment. In an adventure movie, there's usually a moment near the end when there's a lot of danger, suspense, and action — a point the whole movie has been building towards. That's the climax. After a climax, tension is released and things calm down. After a climax, you probably want to say "Whew!"
Vocabulary lists containing climax
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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AP English Lit exam terms
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Narrative Writing, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That was a sign of things to come as frantic finishes became a theme, including a farcial overtime climax in Washington as the Commanders tied with the New York Giants.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
However, Kim Yo Jong ridiculed Lee's latest overture, calling it "the climax of the farce that everyone should watch."
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
By the time Coralie Fargeat’s 2024 “The Substance” reaches its gloriously grotesque climax, Demi Moore’s Elisabeth Sparkle and Margaret Qualley’s Sue have effectively fused into the spectacularly deformed creature known as Monstro Elisasue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
In short, there is no rising action, no climax, no falling action . . . which is no way to tell a story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Ellsberg, a self-described “Watergate junkie,” watched the drama speed toward its climax.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The end of the Trojan War is one of several climaxes, yielding one of the most brilliant action scenes of the filmmaker’s celebrated career.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Some of the best popcorn movie climaxes are built around less.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025
The film climaxes with a famously chaotic performance at at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, where Dylan was booed by some members of the audience for playing an electric set with an amplified band.
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2024
Hundreds might even be an underestimate in this handmade epic that climaxes with a giant mecha-beaver of actors in cheap animal costumes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
As a trafficker in climaxes and thrills and characterization and wonderful dialogue and suspense and confrontations, I had outlined the Dresden story many times.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
The Fort Irwin fighting climaxed with a predawn attack on a fabricated city, Razish, a relic of training for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Cody Gakpo's run into the PSV area climaxed with a shot that was parried by Matej Kovar and Szoboszlai pounced to guide a first-time finish into the empty net from 12 yards.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
“When I Needed You” climaxed with a moving a cappella singalong that had virtually the entire crowd belting Jepsen’s lines about discovering how far is too far to go to accommodate a selfish partner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
It climaxed with Chalamet’s sheltered scion, Paul Atreides, abducted from his family’s spice-mining compound and left to die in the scorching Arrakis desert, patrolled by fanged sandworms the size of the Empire State Building.
From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2024
And the matter was finally climaxed in the episode at the Museum of Science and Industry.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Seven stakes are for 2-year-olds, climaxing with the $50,000 Gottstein Futurity at a mile and 70 yards on closing day.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
The film teases a confrontation between Marcus and Joe, climaxing with a meeting recalling Michael Mann’s “Heat.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2022
Both couples married, and their musical nuances multiplied, climaxing in 1980’s anguished “The Winner Takes It All” just as Fältskog and Ulvaeus finalized their split; the next year, Lyngstad and Andersson divorced as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2021
But by the second week of March, counts quickly bounced to high and even very high levels in the second week of the month, climaxing on March 11, due to a sudden spike in temperatures.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2021
The conference unanimously voted to initiate a massive countrywide antipass campaign beginning March 31 and climaxing on June 26 with a great bonfire of passes.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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