Link Centre Dictionary

climax

cli·max

UK/ˈklaɪ.mæks/ US/ˈklaɪˌmæks/ fairly common

noun

1.

the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding

  • “the climax of the artist”
  • “;”
Synonyms
2.

the decisive moment in a novel or play

  • “the deathbed scene is the climax of the play”
Synonyms
4.

the most severe stage of a disease

5.

verb

1.

end, especially to reach a final or climactic stage

  • “The meeting culminated in a tearful embrace”
Synonyms

Origin

From Latin clīmax, from Ancient Greek κλῖμαξ (klîmax, “ladder, staircase, [rhetorical] climax”), from κλίνω (klínō, “to lean, slant”).

Phrases

  • climax community
  • sexual climax

Related words

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.