ˈæ.pə.dʒi ˈklaɪmæks ˈkləʊzɪŋ ˈkloʊzɪŋ kəmˈpliːʃən ˌkʌl.məˈneɪ.ʃən ˌkʌl.mɪnˈeɪ.ʃən a concluding action the decisive moment in a novel or play the deathbed scene is the climax of the play (astronomy) a heavenly body's highest celestial point above an observer's horizon a final climactic stage their achievements stand as a culmination of centuries of development