adjective
C1
Advanced
climactic
klai-MAK-tik
Climactic (adjective) means relating to or forming the most exciting or decisive point of something. Example: “The film's climactic battle scene left the whole cinema silent.”
adjective
1
Relating to or forming the most exciting or decisive point of something.
"The film's climactic battle scene left the whole cinema silent."
"She saved her strongest argument for the climactic final paragraph of the speech."
"The concert built steadily towards a climactic final song."
How to use climactic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUse climactic for the big, decisive moment something has been building towards.
When to use it
Climactic is a neutral, fairly formal word, common in writing about films, books and music.
Memory tip
Remember the link to climax rather than climate, since the spelling makes it easy to mix the two up.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
climactic moment
climactic scene
climactic battle
climactic ending
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The film's _____ battle scene left the whole cinema silent.
Etymology
Climactic is built from climax with the ending -ic, formed on the pattern of the word syntactic.
Rhymes for climactic
See all rhymes for climactic →Frequently asked questions
What does climactic mean?
It describes something that forms or leads up to a climax, the most intense or decisive part of an event.
Is climactic the same as climatic?
No. Climactic relates to a climax, a high point of excitement, while climatic relates to climate and weather. The two words are often confused because they look and sound alike.
What part of speech is climactic?
It is an adjective, used to describe a moment, scene or point as being a climax.
What is the meaning of climactic?
"climactic" (adjective) means relating to or forming the most exciting or decisive point of something.
