climax

Everyday

1. The most exciting, important or tense moment of a story, film, event or piece of music, usually near the end. tree →
2. The highest point of something that has been building up (the climax of the season). tree →
3. (verb) To reach that most exciting point. tree →

In the lessons

In English lessons, story structure has a beginning, build-up, climax (the problem at its worst or the big moment), resolution and ending. In music and sport it is the big finale. It tells the reader the tension is at its peak. Phrases: «reach a climax», «build up to a climax», «the climax of the story».

Examples

• In the climax of the story, the hero faces the dragon. tree →
• Our story plan had five parts, with the climax in the middle of the mountain. tree →
• The fireworks were the climax of the festival. tree →
• The music builds to a loud climax. tree →
• The match reached its climax in the last minute. tree →
• The film climaxes with a chase across the rooftops. tree →
• Plan your climax before you write the ending. tree →

Note

Countable: a climax, climaxes. Adjective: «climactic» (the climactic scene) — not «climatic», which is about weather. In story writing the climax comes before the resolution.