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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, it was relegated to yet another anticlimactic episode of What Might Have Been. Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2025 When Icelandic upstart Play Airlines abruptly shut down operations last week, canceling all flights, the news felt almost anticlimactic. Barbara Peterson, AFAR Media, 6 Oct. 2025 In French’s telling, Ghanaian independence feels almost inevitable—the British never had a feasible plan to stop it—and so its arrival is oddly anticlimactic. Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 The fans were stunned that their hometown hero was taken down in such an anticlimactic fashion. Indianapolis Star, IndyStar, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anticlimactic

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anticlimactic was in 1831

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anticlimactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticlimactic. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on anticlimactic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!