zenith

noun

ze·​nith ˈzē-nəth 

 Canadian also and British usually  ˈze-nəth,

-nith

1

: the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and vertically above the observer see azimuth illustration

2

: the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body

3

: culminating point : acme

at the zenith of his powers

—John Buchan

Did you know?

Reaching the Zenith

When you reach the zenith, you're at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. Zenith developed from an Arabic phrase meaning "the way over one's head," and then traveled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin, and Middle French before arriving in English. As long ago as the 1300s, English speakers used zenith to name the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, zenith was being used for other high points as well. The celestial term is often contrasted with nadir, which refers to the point that is vertically downward from the observer (imagine a line going through the Earth from the observer's feet and out the other side into the sky). Figuratively, nadir simply means "the lowest point."

Synonyms

• acme
• apex
• apogee
• capstone
• climax
• crescendo
• crest
• crown
• culmination
• head
• height
• high noon
• high-water mark
• meridian
• ne plus ultra
• noon
• noontime
• peak
• pinnacle
• sum
• summit
• tip-top
• top

Examples of zenith in a Sentence

at the zenith of her career as a dancer

Recent Examples on the Web

Merchandising reaches a mind-bending zenith at massive Belgian operator Tomorrowland, where women and men can find full ranges of clothing, jewelry, watches, hats, headphones and collectibles. —Miles Socha, WWD, 15 June 2024

At its zenith, the AUC could mobilize tens of thousands of fighters, and was heavily financed by drug trafficking: following demobilization, more than a dozen AUC leaders were extradited on drug charges to the US. —Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, 14 June 2024

In sculpture, Mannerism, which reached its zenith in the 16th century, tends to exaggerate the human form for dramatic effect. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2024

Many aficionados will point to the October 2004 Tungsten T5 as the zenith of the series. —Cameron Kaiser, Ars Technica, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cenyth, senyth, from Middle French cenit, from Medieval Latin, from Old Spanish zenit, modification of Arabic samt (al-ra's) way (over one's head)

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

zenith

noun

ze·​nith ˈzē-nəth 

1

: the point in the heavens directly overhead

2

: the highest point