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

Not that the spotlight in question shines all that brightly to begin with; most of the dozens of artists Nicolay spoke to work in commercially tenuous realms, such as indie rock or punk, in which a band like Sonic Youth represents the imagination’s zenith. —Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024

Today, even if her commercial power has waned from its 2019-2020 zenith, Grande has found a level of consistency amongst her cultural ubiquity. —Stephen Daw, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2024

The pair spent years locked in an elite but seemingly good-natured rivalry, its zenith coming at the marathon 2008 Wimbledon final, widely considered to be one of the best matches of all time. —Alexander Smith, NBC News, 10 Oct. 2024

Just days before, the singer’s new set will drop, and with anticipation incredibly high and interest in all things related to the Grammy champion–who hasn’t released a new album in four years–at a zenith, she may be headed for another ruler. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 25 Sep. 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