anticlimax

See also: anticlímax and anti-climax

English

Etymology

From anti- +‎ climax.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ɾ̃iˌklaɪ.mæks/, [ˈa.niˌklaɪ.mæks]
• Rhymes: -aɪmæks

Noun

anticlimax (plural anticlimaxes)

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

Synonyms

• (partial): bathos

Antonyms

• climax
• (literary): cliffhanger
• (rhetoric): auxesis

Related terms

• anticlimactic

Translations

break in the final climax

• Catalan: anticlímax m
• Danish: antiklimaks n
• Dutch: anticlimax (nl)
• Finnish: antikliimaksi
• Indonesian: antiklimaks (id)
• Irish: frithbhuaic f, frithdhígeann m
• Japanese: 竜頭蛇尾 (ja) (ryūtōdabi)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: antiklimaks n or m

  Nynorsk: antiklimaks n or m

• Portuguese: anticlímax (pt) m
• Spanish: anticlímax (es) m
• Tagalog: gantinsukdol

in narration

• Polish: antygradacja f, antyklimaks m

rhetoric

• Polish: antygradacja f, antyklimaks m