anticlimactic

adjective

an·​ti·​cli·​mac·​tic ˌan-tē-klī-ˈmak-tik How to pronounce anticlimactic (audio)
-klə-, 
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce anticlimactic (audio)
variants or less commonly anticlimactical
ˌan-tē-klī-ˈmak-ti-kəl, 
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce anticlimactic (audio)
Synonyms of anticlimacticnext
: of, relating to, or marked by anticlimax
anticlimactically
ˌan-tē-klī-ˈmak-ti-ti-k(ə-)lē, 
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce anticlimactic (audio)
adverb

Examples of anticlimactic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Critics called the finish cheap, staged and anticlimactic. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026 The traffic jam forced runners to slowly walk their way along the race's final leg — a disappointing and anticlimactic finish for the event. — Jarrod Wardwell, Houston Chronicle, 3 May 2026 As far as Big Reveals go, Agnes’s parentage is extraordinarily anticlimactic. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026 So, Alamo decides to kill Rue in an uncharacteristically anticlimactic fashion — by giving her painkillers laced with fentanyl and trusting that the addict will be tempted enough to swallow them. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for anticlimactic

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anticlimactic was in 1831

Rhymes for anticlimactic

See All Rhymes for anticlimactic

Browse Nearby Words

anticlerical
anticlimactic
anticlimax
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anticlimactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticlimactic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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