Skip to the word

Added 10 October 2026

climax

/ˈklaɪ.mæks/ noun

In Latin: patrātiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about climax at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding.
the climax of the artist's career
The decisive moment in a novel or play.
the deathbed scene is the climax of the play
The moment of most intense pleasure in sexual intercourse.

verb

End, especially to reach a final or climactic stage.
The meeting culminated in a tearful embrace

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word