Apr 24, 2022 · An anticlimax is a rhetorical device that functions as an abrupt let-down or tonal shift at the end of a narrative build up.

The meaning of ANTICLIMAX is the usually sudden transition in discourse from a significant idea to a trivial or ludicrous idea; also : an instance of this transition.

When you really look forward to something it's often an anticlimax when it actually happens. Coming home after a trip somewhere is always a bit of an anticlimax. Even when you win a …

anticlimax, a figure of speech that consists of the usually sudden transition in discourse from a significant idea to a trivial or ludicrous one. Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock uses …

You can describe something as an anticlimax if it disappoints you because it happens after something that was very exciting, or because it is not as exciting as you expected.

Define anticlimax in literature: Anticlimax is a rhetorical technique used by writers in which events or sentences build in emotional intensity and then suddenly drop to a lower emotional point.

Definition of anticlimax noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Anticlimax is more than a narrative hiccup—it’s a deliberate device that can add humor, irony, or critical insight to any story or speech. By understanding its definition, types, structural …

ANTICLIMAX definition: an event, conclusion, statement, etc., that is far less important, powerful, or striking than expected. See examples of anticlimax used in a sentence.

Dec 14, 2025 · anticlimax (countable and uncountable, plural anticlimaxes) A failed or reverse climax, particularly: quotations