zenith

ˈziːnɪθnoun

What does zenith mean?

The highest point; the top of someone’s success or of the sun’s path.

Zenith, six ways

PlainThe highest point; the top of someone’s success or of the sun’s path.
ADHDThe top. Peak. Can’t go higher.
Gen ZPeak. Career zenith, playlist zenith, the sun at noon.
MetaphorThe last rung, where the ladder ends and the sky begins.
FormalThe time at which something is most powerful or successful; in astronomy, the point directly overhead.
Like I’m 5The very highest point of something, like the sun at the top of the sky. That’s the zenith.

How to pronounce zenith

ZEE-nith/ˈziːnɪθ/

Zenith in a sentence

The band reached its zenith in 1994.
She was at the zenith of her fame.
At noon the sun is near its zenith.

Synonyms for zenith

peakPlainer.
pinnacleThe highest point, often of achievement.
summitThe top, often literal.

Zenith vs nadir: Zenith is the highest point. Nadir is the lowest. They come as a pair. The difference, in plain English.

Where zenith comes from

Arabic. Samt ar-ra’s, the way over the head. A medieval copyist misread samt as senit, and the slip became the word.

Good to know

From astronomy, the point directly overhead. Its opposite is nadir.

Zenith meaning, on a Gloss card: The highest point; the top of someone’s success or of the sun’s path.

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Words like zenith

nadir · oblivion · zephyr · wistful · fastidious · mercurial · All 110 words

In: Words for time · Words with a story