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 of zenith

• 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

Her materials include those most basic elements of the earth—geology—and her forms borrow from totems, obelisks, prehistoric megaliths, and Indigenous Caribbean zeniths. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 7 Apr. 2026

Japanese consumer electronics company Maxell, known for its high-performance chromium metal cassettes during its 80s zenith, has now released a modern update to the portable cassette player. —Shirl Leigh april 06, New Atlas, 6 Apr. 2026

Higham drives a zenith red Lucid Air and charges it at home using solar panels. —Hedija Spahalic, Dallas Morning News, 2 Apr. 2026

But the newspaper hit its zenith during World War II, and perhaps its most important contributor was the cartoonist Bill Mauldin. —Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2026

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