anticlimactic

adjective

an·​ti·​cli·​mac·​tic
ˌan-tē-klī-ˈmak-tik,
-klə-,
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce anticlimactic (audio)
variants or less commonly anticlimactical
ˌan-tē-klī-ˈmak-ti-kəl,
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce anticlimactic (audio)
: of, relating to, or marked by anticlimax
anticlimactically
ˌan-tē-klī-ˈmak-ti-ti-k(ə-)lē
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce anticlimactic (audio)
adverb

Examples of anticlimactic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There is no arc, nor character development, nor point, without anticlimactic intervention. Lauren Oyler, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 One of the more intriguing careers of the last decade ended in equally anticlimactic and expected fashion Feb. 9, when Corey Kluber announced his retirement via an Instagram post. Jerry Beach, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Yes, the tourney has switched from last year’s September dates, which were in an anticlimactic position the week after the U.S. Open. Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 The flag football game is extremely anticlimactic, despite all the lingering tension between some of the cast members. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2023 After that, the heist itself was a bit anticlimactic. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 22 Apr. 2023 Read: The anticlimactic end of Israel’s democracy crisis Never miss a story. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2024 By the end of the year, then, the idea of doing disco-ball-dressing seems anticlimactic. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Dec. 2023 Ending with a film might seem anticlimactic, but inside the room, the KISS Army was enthralled with the idea that their heroes might rock and roll through a potentially endless series of nights, in some form. A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 3 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anticlimactic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anticlimactic was in 1831

Dictionary Entries Near anticlimactic

Cite this Entry

“Anticlimactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticlimactic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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