Etymology Map
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Climax

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means the most intense point

Where does the word "climax" come from? It comes from Greek klimax, passing through Late Latin before entering English (1580s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
klimax
Greek · ancient
"ladder"
Greek, from 'klinein', to slope
2
Stage 2 of 3
climax
Late Latin · ancient
"rhetorical ascent"
a figure of speech where ideas rise in intensity, like rungs of a ladder
3
Stage 3 of 3
climax
English · 1580s
"rhetorical figure"
the sense 'highest point' dates from the 1700s
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Read the full story

Climax’s story begins in Greek: klimax meant “ladder.” Greek, from 'klinein', to slope. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Late Latin as climax. A figure of speech where ideas rise in intensity, like rungs of a ladder. It reached English by 1580s as climax. The sense 'highest point' dates from the 1700s. Today, climax means the most intense point.