John Buchan
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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."
Examples of zenith in a Sentence
Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2026
Klosterman believes right now is likely the zenith.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Miami Music Week is at its zenith this weekend, its cacophonous diversions and decibels aimed at the spring break crowd and other ears that haven’t been around for very long, highlighted by the DJ bonfire known as Ultra Music Festival.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
With his mother, wife and daughter in the stands, the night represented a personal zenith.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zenith
Cite this Entry
“Zenith.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zenith. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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zenith
noun
