English Explanatory Dictionary

anticlimax

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A failed or reverse climax, particularly
  2. A failed or reverse climax
  3. An unsatisfying resolution to a narrative, usually owing to a deus ex machina or similarly trivial resolution of the main conflict.
  4. An abrupt descent (either deliberate or unintentional) from the dignity of the idea which the speaker or writer appeared to be aiming for.

Pronunciation

/ˈæn.tiˌklaɪ.mæks/ [ˈæ.ɾ̃iˌklaɪ.mæks] /ˈæn.taɪˌklaɪ.mæks/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-anticlimax.wav

Word forms

anticlimax anticlimaxes anti-climax

Etymology

From anti- + climax.

Synonyms

bathos

Antonyms

climax cliffhanger auxesis

Related words

anticlimactic underwhelm

Translations

Afrikaans: antiklimaks Albanian: antiklimaks Amharic: አንቲክሊማክስ Armenian: հակակլիմաքս Assamese: এন্টিক্লাইমেক্স Azerbaijani: antiklimaks Basque: antiklimax Belarusian: антыклімакс Bengali: অ্যান্টিক্লাইম্যাক্স Bulgarian: антиклимакс Catalan: anticlímax Cebuano: antiklimaks Corsican: anticlímax Czech: antiklimax Danish: antiklimaks Dhivehi: އެންޓިކްލައިމެކްސް Dogri: एंटीक्लाइमेक्स Dutch: anticlimax Esperanto: malklimakso Esperanto: antiklimakso Estonian: antikliimax Finnish: antikliimaksi Galician: anticlímax Georgian: ანტიკლიმაქსი German: antiklimax Greek: γελοία κατάπτωση Greek: απροσδόκητη κατάπτωση Gujarati: એન્ટિક્લાઈમેક્સ Haitian Creole: antiklimaks Hindi: एंटीक्लाइमेक्स Hungarian: antiklimax Icelandic: antiklimax Indonesian: antiklimaks Irish: frithbhuaic Irish: frithdhígeann Japanese: 竜頭蛇尾 Javanese: antiklimaks Kannada: ಆಂಟಿಕ್ಲೈಮ್ಯಾಕ್ಸ್ Kazakh: антиклимакс Korean: 용두사미 Krio: antiklaymaks Kyrgyz: антиклимакс Norwegian Bokmål: antiklimaks
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