anticlimax
an event, conclusion, statement, etc., that is far less important, powerful, or striking than expected.
a descent in power, quality, dignity, etc.; a disappointing, weak, or inglorious conclusion: After serving as president, he may find life in retirement an anticlimax.
a noticeable or ludicrous descent from lofty ideas or expressions to banalities or commonplace remarks: We were amused by the anticlimax of the company's motto: “For God, for country, and for Acme Gasworks.”
Origin of anticlimax
1Words Nearby anticlimax
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use anticlimax in a sentence
All the same, what might have been seen as an embarrassing anticlimax was a major economic opportunity.
The Selfish Gene: The Broken Promises of the Human Genome Project | Michael Thomsen | January 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTFor Chávez, the end of the campaign was an anticlimax, and for Capriles, the pinnacle of his political career.
Could Hugo Chávez Really Lose Venezuela’s Election? | Boris Muñoz | October 6, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTIt was the biggest anticlimax in the history of Wall Street crime.
It was upon a lighter note, not to end in anticlimax, that Mr. Jenyns concluded his able pamphlet.
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl BeckerIt seemed certain that the next two days must provide the climax or anticlimax of our whole reconnaissance.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921 | Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
After what he had been through, the Black Mass was necessarily an anticlimax.
The Status Civilization | Robert SheckleyThe Fourth Act is an anticlimax, and shows up the faulty construction of the drama.
It was an absurd anticlimax to see that bold, bad gunman being jammed upright to keep him from falling in a heap.
Where the Pavement Ends | John Russell
British Dictionary definitions for anticlimax
/ (ˌæntɪˈklaɪmæks) /
a disappointing or ineffective conclusion to a series of events, etc
a sudden change from a serious subject to one that is disappointing or ludicrous
rhetoric a descent in discourse from the significant or important to the trivial, inconsequential, etc
Derived forms of anticlimax
- anticlimactic (ˌæntɪklaɪˈmæktɪk), adjective
- anticlimactically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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