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

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

In other words, at its post-Diana zenith, the support for the monarchy was there but had gone soft. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025

Classical When Franz Liszt was at the zenith of his fame in the nineteenth century, his fans were so enthralled by his good looks and talent that his mere presence created an atmosphere of mass hysteria. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025

While mainstream fears around the youth taking drugs, the youth turning gay, and the combination of the two had been swirling for decades, the panic reached its zenith with Clinton-era nightlife raids and legislation like the RAVE Act of 2003. —Andrew Pasquier, Them., 18 Sep. 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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

zenith

noun

ze·​nith ˈzē-nəth 

1

: the point in the heavens directly overhead

2

: the highest point