anticlimax

an·ti·cli·max

noun \-ˈklī-ˌmaks\

Definition of ANTICLIMAX

1

: the usually sudden transition in discourse from a significant idea to a trivial or ludicrous idea; also : an instance of this transition

2

: an event, period, or outcome that is strikingly less important or dramatic than expected

Examples of ANTICLIMAX

1. The last chapter of the book was an anticlimax.
2. The movie ended in anticlimax.

First Known Use of ANTICLIMAX

1696

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

Rhymes with ANTICLIMAX

Astyanax, bikini wax, carnauba wax, hydrothorax, mesothorax, metathorax, property tax, selling climax, vegetable wax, withholding tax