Basic Details
Word: Anticlimax
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A disappointing ending to something that seemed to be building up to an exciting or important moment.
Synonyms: letdown, disappointment, comedown
Antonyms: climax
How to Spell Anticlimax
Syllables: an - ti - cli - max
Tricky part: The prefix is anti-, meaning against, not ante-, meaning before. Climax is spelt with an i, never a y.
Watch out for: anteclimax, antyclimax, anticlimacks
Memory tip: Anti means against: an anticlimax works against the climax you were waiting for. Write anti in full, then the whole word climax.
Usage Examples
Example 1: After weeks of planning, the school fete was an anticlimax because only twenty people turned up.
Example 2: The film builds up a thrilling chase, and then the ending is a total anticlimax.
Example 3: Reaching the summit in thick cloud, with no view at all, felt like an anticlimax.
Fun Fact
Climax comes from the Greek klimax, which meant a ladder: a climax is the top rung of a story.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the prefix anti- to make a real word. Choose it:
anti-
a) climax
b) tidy
c) honest
d) lucky
Show answer
a) climax. Anti + climax gives anticlimax; the other three take un- or dis- for their opposites, never anti-.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
After weeks of excitement, the final was a huge anticlymax because rain stopped play after two overs.
a) final
b) overs
c) excitement
d) anticlymax
Show answer
d) anticlymax. Climax keeps its i in every form, including anticlimax; a y there is a common slip.
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:
The magician's last trick was a real iaxctmilan, and half the audience left early.
a) anticlimax
b) antimatter
c) antidote
d) climate
Show answer
a) anticlimax. Only anticlimax has the x and the two a's and two i's that the jumble holds.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. You would call it an anticlimax if ____.
a) a concert closed with the best song
b) a story ended with a big surprise
c) a fireworks show ended with one weak spark
d) a match was won by a six off the last ball
Show answer
c) a fireworks show ended with one weak spark
2. The word that means the opposite of anticlimax is ____.
a) letdown
b) ending
c) climax
d) comedown
Show answer
c) climax
