zenith

noun

ze·​nith ˈzē-nəth 

 Canadian also and British usually  ˈze-nəth,

-nith

1

: the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and vertically above the observer see azimuth illustration

2

: the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body

3

: culminating point : acme

at the zenith of his powers

—John Buchan

Did you know?

Reaching the Zenith

When you reach the zenith, you're at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. Zenith developed from an Arabic phrase meaning "the way over one's head," and then traveled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin, and Middle French before arriving in English. As long ago as the 1300s, English speakers used zenith to name the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, zenith was being used for other high points as well. The celestial term is often contrasted with nadir, which refers to the point that is vertically downward from the observer (imagine a line going through the Earth from the observer's feet and out the other side into the sky). Figuratively, nadir simply means "the lowest point."

Synonyms

• pinnacle
• height
• peak
• culmination
• top
• apex

Examples of zenith in a Sentence

at the zenith of her career as a dancer

Recent Examples on the Web

That ribbon is more formally known as the Milky Way band, stretching from the northeast horizon, through the overhead zenith, and on to the south-southwest horizon. —Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025

The zenith of the PTC’s advocacy came in the aftermath of the infamous 2004 Janet Jackson Super Bowl Halftime Show on CBS, which was airing live when the singer’s bare breast was exposed on camera during the performance alongside Justin Timberlake. —Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025

When the pair is closest to Mars, at maximum, Earth and the moon will be just under half a degree apart in the sky (astronomers measure size on the sky in degrees, where there are 90 degrees from the horizon to the zenith). —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2025

Song for song, Showgirl is her best since the Folklore/Evermore double-shot of five years ago — that might look like an unbeatable zenith, but then so did Red before Folklore happened. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cenyth, senyth, from Middle French cenit, from Medieval Latin, from Old Spanish zenit, modification of Arabic samt (al-ra's) way (over one's head)

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

zenith

noun

ze·​nith ˈzē-nəth 

1

: the point in the heavens directly overhead

2

: the highest point