Word Study
climax
CIDE DICTIONARY
- Upward movement; steady increase; gradation; ascent. Glanvill. [1913 Webster]
- A figure in which the parts of a sentence or paragraph are so arranged that each succeeding one rises above its predecessor in impressiveness. [1913 Webster]"“Tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, and experience hope” -- a happy climax." [1913 Webster]
- The highest point; the greatest degree. [1913 Webster]"We must look higher for the climax of earthly good." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
climax, n. & v.
--n.
1 the event or point of greatest intensity or interest; a culmination or apex.
2 a sexual orgasm.
3 Rhet. a a series arranged in order of increasing importance etc. b the last term in such a series.
4 Ecol. a state of equilibrium reached by a plant community.
--v.tr. & intr. colloq. bring or come to a climax.
--n.
1 the event or point of greatest intensity or interest; a culmination or apex.
2 a sexual orgasm.
3 Rhet. a a series arranged in order of increasing importance etc. b the last term in such a series.
4 Ecol. a state of equilibrium reached by a plant community.
--v.tr. & intr. colloq. bring or come to a climax.
Etymology
LL f. Gk klimax -akos ladder, climax
THESAURUS
climax
achieve satisfaction, acme, acme of perfection, act of love, adultery, all, apex, aphrodisia, apogee, apoplexy, ass, balling, bench mark, bitter end, breakup, brow, button up, cap, capstone, cardinal point, carnal knowledge, carry to completion, cataclysm, catastrophe, ceiling, chief thing, clean up, close out, close up, cloud nine, cohabitation, coition, coitus, coitus interruptus, come, commerce, complete, completion, conclude, conclusion, congress, connection, consummate, consummation, content, convulsion, copestone, copula, copulation, core, cornerstone, coupling, crest, crisis, critical point, crossroads, crown, crux, culmen, culminate, culmination, denouement, diastrophism, diddling, disaster, edge, ejaculate, end, end result, essence, essential, essential matter, extreme, extreme limit, extremity, final result, final stroke, final touch, finale, finalize, finish, finish off, finish up, finisher, finishing stroke, fit, fornication, frost, fundamental, get done, get it over, get off, get through, get through with, gist, gravamen, great point, head, heart, heaven, heavens, height, high noon, high point, highest degree, highest pitch, highest point, ice, important thing, intercourse, intimacy, issue, kernel, keystone, landmark, last act, last stroke, last touch, last word, limit, lovemaking, main point, main thing, making it with, marital relations, marriage act, material point, mating, maximum, meat, meridian, milestone, mop up, mountaintop, ne plus ultra, no place higher, noon, nth degree, nub, onanism, orgasm, outtop, overarch, overthrow, overtop, ovum, pareunia, paroxysm, payoff, peak, perfect, perfection, pink, pink of perfection, pinnacle, pitch, pith, pivot, please, point, pole, procreation, quake, reach orgasm, real issue, relations, ridge, round out, salient point, satisfy, screwing, seventh heaven, sex, sex act, sexual climax, sexual commerce, sexual congress, sexual intercourse, sexual relations, sexual union, sine qua non, sky, sleeping with, spasm, sperm, spire, stroke, substance, substantive point, summit, surmount, temblor, terminate, termination, the bottom line, the point, the whole, tidal wave, tip, tip-top, top, top off, top out, tsunami, turning point, ultimate, upheaval, upmost, upper extremity, uppermost, utmost, utmost extent, uttermost, venery, vertex, very top, wind up, wrap up, zenithROGET THESAURUS
climax
Superiority
N superiority, majority, greatness, advantage, pull, preponderance, preponderation, vantage ground, prevalence, partiality, personal superiority, nobility, Triton among the minnows, primus inter pares, nulli secundus, captain, crackajack, supremacy, preeminence, lead, maximum, record, trikumia, climax, culmination, transcendence, ne plus ultra, lion's share, Benjamin's mess, excess, surplus, (redundancy), superior, greater, major, higher, exceeding, great, distinguished, ultra, vaulting, more than a match for, supreme, greatest, utmost, paramount, preeminent, foremost, crowning, first-rate, unrivaled peerless, matchless, none such, second to none, sans pareil, unparagoned, unparalleled, unequalled, unapproached, unsurpassed, superlative, inimitable facile princeps, incomparable, sovereign, without parallel, nulli secundus, ne plus ultra, beyond compare, beyond comparison, culminating, transcendent, transcendental, plus royaliste que le Roi, more catholic than the Pope increased, enlarged, beyond, more, over, over the mark, above the mark, above par, upwards of, in advance of, over and above, at the top of the scale, at its height, eminently, egregiously, preeminently, surpassing, prominently, superlatively, supremely, above all, of all things, the most, to crown all, kat exochin, par excellence, principally, especially, particularly, peculiarly, a fortiori, even, yea, still more, I shall not look upon his like again, deos fortioribus addesse.Violence
N violence, inclemency, vehemence, might, impetuosity, boisterousness, effervescence, ebullition, turbulence, bluster, uproar, callithump, riot, row, rumpus, le diable a quatre, devil to pay, all the fat in the fire, severity, ferocity, rage, fury, exacerbation, exasperation, malignity, fit, paroxysm, orgasm, climax, aphrodisia, force, brute force, outrage, coup de main, strain, shock, shog, spasm, convulsion, throe, hysterics, passion, outbreak, outburst, debacle, burst, bounce, dissilience, discharge, volley, explosion, blow up, blast, detonation, rush, eruption, displosion, torrent, turmoil, ferment, storm, tempest, rough weather, squall, earthquake, volcano, thunderstorm, berserk, berserker, fury, dragon, demon, tiger, beldame, Tisiphone, Megaera, Alecto, madcap, wild beast, fire eater, violent, vehement, warm, acute, sharp, rough, rude, ungentle, bluff, boisterous, wild, brusque, abrupt, waspish, impetuous, rampant, turbulent, disorderly, blustering, raging, troublous, riotous, tumultuary, tumultuous, obstreperous, uproarious, extravagant, unmitigated, ravening, inextinguishable, tameless, frenzied, desperate, infuriate, furious, outrageous, frantic, hysteric, in hysterics, fiery, flaming, scorching, hot, red-hot, ebullient, savage, fierce, ferocious, fierce as a tiger, excited, unquelled, unquenched, unextinguished, unrepressed, unbridled, unruly, headstrong, ungovernable, unappeasable, immitigable, unmitigable, uncontrollable, incontrollable, insuppressible, irrepressible, orgastic, orgasmatic, orgasmic, spasmodic, convulsive, explosive, detonating, volcanic, meteoric, stormy, violently, amain, by storm, by force, by main force, with might and main, tooth and nail, vi et armis, at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet, at one fell swoop, with a high hand, through thick and thin, in desperation, with a vengeance, a outrance, a toute outrance, headlong, head foremost, furor arma ministrat, blown with restless violence round about the pende.Summit
N summit, summity, top, peak, vertex, apex, zenith, pinnacle, acme, culmination, meridian, utmost height, ne plus utra, height, pitch, maximum, climax, culminating point, crowning point, turning point, turn of the tide, fountain head, water shed, water parting, sky, pole, tip, tip top, crest, crow's nest, cap, truck, nib, end, crown, brow, head, nob, noddle, pate, capsheaf, high places, heights, topgallant mast, sky scraper, quarter deck, hurricane deck, architrave, frieze, cornice, coping stone, zoophorus, capital, epistyle, sconce, pediment, entablature, tympanum, ceiling, attic, loft, garret, house top, upper story, summit conference, summit, peak of achievement, peak of performance, peaks and troughs, peaks and valleys (in graphs), highest &c (high), top, top most, upper most, tiptop, culminating, meridian, meridional, capital, head, polar, supreme, supernal, topgallant, atop, at the top of the tree, en flute, fleur deau.Sexuality
N sex, sexuality, gender, male, masculinity, maleness, female, femininity, sexual intercourse, copulation, mating, coitus, sex, lovemaking, marital relations, sexual union, sleeping together, carnal knowledge, sex instinct, sex drive, libido, lust, concupiscence, hots, horns, arousal, heat, rut, estrus, oestrus, tumescence, erection, hard-on, boner, masturbation, self-gratification, autoeroticism, onanism, self- abuse, orgasm, climax, ejaculation, sexiness, attractiveness, sensuality, voluptuousness, fornication, adultery, sex symbol, sex goddess, stud, hunk, one-night stand, pornography, porn, porno, hardcore pornography, softcore pornography, pin-up, cheesecake, beefcake, Playboy, Esquire, Hustler, perversion, deviation, sexual abnormality, fetish, fetishism, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, sodomy, buggery, pederasty, sadism, masochism, sado-masochism, incest, sexy, erotic, sexual, carnal, sensual, hot, horny, randy, rutting, passionate, lusty, hot-blooded, libidinous, up, in the mood, homosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual.VB mate, copulate, make love, have intercourse, fornicate, have sex, do it, sleep together, fuck, sleep around, play the field, masturbate, jerk off, jack off, play with oneself, have the hots, become aroused, get hot, have an erection, get it up, come, climax, ejaculate.
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