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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Rhetoric
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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:
The former mayor of Manchester’s entry into Downing Street will mark the climax of a steep ascent for a politician who until last month wasn’t even a member of parliament.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
But then toward the climax, Einbinder has a powerful close-up that puts the film back in her pocket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Commentating on the thrilling climax of this year's Open, there was barely a moment to describe the biggest putt of Ryan Fox's life because he struck it so quickly.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
But they mounted a fine comeback of their own with the ball to prevent Hampshire becoming the first team to win four T20 Blast titles in a nerve-shredding climax which went to the final over.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
This was the logical climax of the whole misbegotten day, this whole out-of-joint term at Devon.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
He heightens the beauty of its etude-like beginning and captures both its subtle ebb-and-flow and the propulsion of its climaxes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
Famously, in one of the most extraordinary championship climaxes in F1 history, Ferrari messed up their strategy and opened the door to Vettel to win his first title.
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2025
Some of the best popcorn movie climaxes are built around less.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025
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
But Marcus Tavernier's 69th minute penalty, awarded for Max Kilman's handball, sparked a Bournemouth fightback that climaxed with Enes Unal's 81st minute equaliser.
From Barron's ● Nov. 22, 2025
Universal substantially increased the budget and abandoned underground racing for an “Ocean’s 11”-style heist that climaxed with a car racing through Rio de Janeiro while dragging a bank vault.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 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
Fans find this make-or-break moment in the British synth-pop band’s history particularly compelling: an American tour that climaxed with a sold-out show at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2023
The debate over Lawrence’s future at Berkeley climaxed at an acrimonious faculty conclave pitting the hard sciences, represented by Birge and Lewis, against the humanities and social sciences departments.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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
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
In 2013, Fast & Furious 6 took the team to London before climaxing with an explosive showdown involving a cargo plane attempting to take off.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2020
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
