zenith

Z10E1N1I1T1H4
Australia, UK/ˈzɛn.ɪθ/US/ˈzi.nɪθ/

noun

The point in the sky vertically above a given position or observer; the point in the celestial sphere opposite the nadir.

“Winning the continental championship was the zenith of my career.”

Similar
acmeapogeeculminationpinnacleapex
Opposite
nadirperigeeantizenith
OriginMiddle English cenyth ← Medieval Latin cenit →
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounzenith (plural zeniths)

plural zeniths

  1. astronomyThe point in the sky vertically above a given position or observer; the point in the celestial sphere opposite the nadir.

    In the east a pillar of cloud reared from horizon to zenith, with a kind of arm outstretched like a threatening colossus.

    1938, Xavier Herbert, chapter XI, in Capricornia, New York: D. Appleton-Century, published 1943, page 180
    2 more examples

    The 12 day wee had the wind high and large ſo that in two dayes ſaile we made the Sunne our Zenith or verticall point[…]

    1638, Sir Thomas Herbert, Some years travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique

    In this 10th m. appeared that prodigious Comett the tayl whereof was like the blade of a double edged sword, and reached almost from the horizon to the zenith.

    1671–1693: Rev. Thomas Jolly, private notebook; printed in: 1895, Henry Fishwick (editor), The Note Book of the Rev. Thomas Jolly: A.D. 1671–1693. Extracts from the Church Books of Altham and Wymondhouses, 1649–1725. And an Account of the Jolly Family of Standish, Gorton, and Altham, page 44

    Antonyms: nadir, perigee

  2. astronomyThe highest point in the sky reached by a celestial body.

    […] in the middle of the day, when the sun was in the zenith, the violence of the heat was too great to stir out […]

    1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    As far to the west as Monica could see, her world was a sea of fog, […]. Above it arched a cerulean sky; as the sun climbed to the zenith, […], the fog gradually took on a bluish tinge.

    1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter II, in The Understanding Heart
  3. broadlyHighest point or state; peak.

    Winning the continental championship was the zenith of my career.

    3 more examples

    I find my zenith doth depend upon / A most auspicious star.

    1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]

    It was during those civil troubles […] this aspiring family reached the zenith.

    1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XIII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC

    "There for a while I enjoyed myself in the zenith of glory and pleasure."

    1900, William Beckford, The History of the Caliph Vathek, page 173

    Synonyms: acme, apogee, culmination, pinnacle, apex

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe point in the sky vertically above a given position or observer; the point in the celestial sphere opposite the nadir.

Opposite
nadirperigee

nounHighest point or state; peak.

Similar
acmeapogeeculminationpinnacleapex
Opposite
antizenith

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected

Opposite
nadir
Broader
celestial point
Also see
acmeapexapogeeculmenheighthigh pointmount everestnoontideparoxysmpeakperihelionpinnaclesumsummitsuperlative

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Medieval Latincenit
  2. Middle Englishcenyth
  3. Englishzenith

From Middle English cenyth, from Medieval Latin cenit, from Arabic سَمْت (samt, “direction, path”), from the fuller form سَمْت اَلرَّأْس (samt ar-raʔs, “direction of the head”). The -ni- for -m- is sometimes thought to be due to a misreading of the three strokes, which is plausible, though it could be a mere phonetic approximation.

More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀκμή
  • ἀκμή (akmḗ)highest point or state; peak
Arabic سَمْت, ذُرْوَة
  • سَمْت (samt)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • ذُرْوَة (ḏurwa)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • سَمْت (samt)highest point or state; peak
  • ذُرْوَة (ḏurwa)highest point or state; peak
Bulgarian зени́т, зени́т
  • зени́т (zenít)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • зени́т (zenít)astronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • зени́т (zenít)highest point or state; peak
Catalan zenit, zenit
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenithighest point or state; peak
Chinese Mandarin 天頂 /天顶, 天頂 /天顶
  • 天頂 /天顶 (tiāndǐng)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • 天頂 /天顶 (tiāndǐng)astronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • 頂點 /顶点 (dǐngdiǎn)highest point or state; peak
Czech nadhlavník, zenit
  • nadhlavníkastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • nadhlavníkastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • zenitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • zenithighest point or state; peak
Danish zenit
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
Dutch zenit
  • zenitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
Esperanto zenito
  • zenitoastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
Estonian seniit, seniit
  • seniitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • seniitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • seniithighest point or state; peak
Finnish zeniitti, lakipiste
  • zeniittiastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • lakipisteastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • huippuhighest point or state; peak
  • huipennushighest point or state; peak
  • huippukohtahighest point or state; peak
  • kohokohtahighest point or state; peak
French zénith, zénith
  • zénithastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zénithastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • zénithhighest point or state; peak
German Zenit, Zenit
  • Zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • Zenitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • Zenithighest point or state; peak
Greek ζενίθ, ζενίθ
  • ζενίθ (zeníth)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • ζενίθ (zeníth)astronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • απόγειο (apógeio)highest point or state; peak
  • ζενίθ (zeníth)highest point or state; peak
Hebrew זֶנִית, אזימוט
  • זֶנִית (zenit)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • אזימוט (ázimut)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
Hindi सिम्त, पराकाष्ठा
  • सिम्त (simt)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • पराकाष्ठा (parākāṣṭhā)highest point or state; peak
  • स्वर्ग (svarg)highest point or state; peak
  • सिम्त (simt)highest point or state; peak
Indonesian zenit, zenit
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
Irish buaic na spéire
  • buaic na spéireastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
Italian zenit, zenit
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenithighest point or state; peak
  • culminehighest point or state; peak
  • apicehighest point or state; peak
Japanese 天頂, 天頂
  • 天頂 (tenchō)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • 天頂 (tenchō)astronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • 頂点 (chōten)highest point or state; peak
  • 絶頂 (zetchō)highest point or state; peak
Latin cenit
  • cenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
Malay zenit, zenit
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
Māori kōmata (o te rangi), poutūmārō
  • kōmata (o te rangi)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • poutūmārōastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • kōmata (o te rangi)astronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
Norwegian Bokmål senit
  • senitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
Persian سمتالرأس, سرسو
  • سمتالرأس (samt-or-ra's)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • سرسو (sarsu)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • اوج (owj)highest point or state; peak
Polish zenit, apogeum
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • apogeumastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • zenithighest point or state; peak
Portuguese zénite, zênite
  • zéniteastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zêniteastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zéniteastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • zêniteastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • topohighest point or state; peak
  • cumehighest point or state; peak
Romanian zenit
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
Russian зени́т, зени́т
  • зени́т (zenít)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • зени́т (zenít)astronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • зени́т (zenít)highest point or state; peak
  • расцве́т (rascvét)highest point or state; peak
  • вы́сшая то́чка (výsšaja tóčka)highest point or state; peak
Scottish Gaelic bàrr
  • bàrrhighest point or state; peak
Spanish cenit, cénit
  • cenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • cénitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zénitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • apogeohighest point or state; peak
  • cenithighest point or state; peak
  • zenithighest point or state; peak
  • cénithighest point or state; peak
  • zénithighest point or state; peak
Swedish zenit, huvudpunkt
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • huvudpunktastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • hjässpunktastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • zenithighest point or state; peak
Tagalog ituktok, ituktok
  • ituktokastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • ituktokastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
Turkish zenit, başucu
  • zenitastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • başucuastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • başucu noktasıastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • setürreisastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • tepeastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • zenitastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • zirveastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • dorukastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • tepeastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • ayyukastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • zirvehighest point or state; peak
  • dorukhighest point or state; peak
Ukrainian зені́т, зені́т
  • зені́т (zenít)astronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • зені́т (zenít)highest point or state; peak
Vietnamese thiên đỉnh, thiên đỉnh
  • thiên đỉnhastronomy: point vertically above a position or observer
  • thiên đỉnhastronomy: highest point reached by a celestial body
  • cực điểmhighest point or state; peak
  • điểm cao nhấthighest point or state; peak
  • tột đỉnhhighest point or state; peak

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

HeintzHintze
Cite this entry
APA

zenith. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zenith

MLA

“zenith.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zenith. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zenith,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zenith.

Source: zenith on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.