climactic
/klʌɪˈmaktɪk
/adjective
Acting as a culmination or resolution to a series of events; forming an exciting climax: the film’s climactic scenes...
- She appeared in more than a few slasher movies, always the young heroine who outsmarts the killer in a climactic final chase scene.
- And the final climactic emotional moment is cringe inducing rather than searingly moving.
- The World Cup is one coherent drama with developing conflict, mounting tension and a climactic resolution.
Synonyms
final, culminating, ending, finishing, closing, concluding, ultimate;
exciting, thrilling, stirring, action-packed, gripping, riveting, dramatic, hair-raising;
crucial, decisive, deciding, critical, momentous
Usage
Climactic and climatic are very similar in spelling and are often confused. Climactic means ‘forming a climax’, as in the film’s climactic scene, while climatic means ‘relating to climate’, as in prevailing climatic conditions.
Derivatives
climactically
- When they converge in the middle to symbolise the cross, mood changes from meditative to climactically vehement.
- Here the scale and repeated notes from bar 4 climactically return.
- But not so in opera, where legato in a favourite aria can still an audience and then climactically bring it to its feet over the full spectrum of human emotions.
Origin
Late 19th century: formed irregularly from climax + -ic, probably influenced by climacteric.