climax

American  

[klahy-maks] / ˈklaɪ mæks /

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.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to bring to or reach a climax.

climax British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to reach or bring to a climax

Usage

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

Other Word Forms

• hyperclimax noun
• unclimaxed adjective

Etymology

Origin of climax

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

Example Sentences

As in the climax of a Jane Austen novel, it just feels so right.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

The stylistic bait-and-switch doesn’t just hamper the film’s momentum; it reveals just how silly the entire endeavor up until the climax has been.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

He was also one of Morocco's superstars during the Africa Cup of Nations, with the host team making it to the final where they lost in a chaotic climax to the tournament to Senegal.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

They passed – and more tests will come for the Gunners and Manchester City as the Premier League pursuit reaches its climax.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

The agricultural depression, taken together with a series of failed reforms and broken political promises, had pyramided to a climax of social tensions.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• capstone
• turning point