Happy Friday! Today’s Word of the Day from Dictionary.com is Zenith! It originates from the Arabic “samt (ar-ra’s)” meaning “path (over one’s head)”
As I often do when working with words, consulting a Thesaurus helps me understand the nuances of a word. Here are a few synonyms for the word Zenith: highest point, high point, crowning point, height, top, acme, peak, pinnacle, apex, apogee, crown, crest, summit, climax, culmination, prime, meridian.
I also recently discovered another cool tool in Google that allows me to produce a word translated into various languages. The word Zenith has a variety of interesting translations…in Italian, there are three words: zenit, apice and culmine; in Spanish, cenit, apogeo, cumbre, cima and auge; and my new favorite language, German, zenit and Gipfelpunkt! Wow! Being afraid of heights I get dizzy just thinking about it!
In its various translations and definitions zenith represents the pinnacle, apex or high point. There’s just one problem. Gravity. What goes up eventually reaches the highest high it can go and then, well you know.
I suppose the trick to surviving the zeniths in one’s life is learning to scale the thrilling climb to the top and ultimate plunge as if riding a roller coaster. The track doesn’t end at the bottom. It curves around, reaches a few more pinnacles, and does a loop de loop before settling slowly to a smooth stop, leaving the rider exhilarated and breathless!
I don’t know if I’ve reached the ultimate zenith in my life, but I think it’s more about the journey up and back down. The dizzying view from the pinnacle only lasts for a second!
Here’s the Haiku!
Reaching one’s zenith…
It’s truly a triumph!
But then it’s downhill!
kat ~ 29 January 2016
January 29th, 2016 at 6:40 pm
I like this word! Wow downhill, noooo
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January 29th, 2016 at 7:15 pm
What goes up…but coming down doesn’t necessarily mean crashing! 😊
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January 29th, 2016 at 8:14 pm
Haha 🙂
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January 29th, 2016 at 8:14 pm
😊
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January 30th, 2016 at 9:59 am
Terrific word! Your post reminds me of the saying, “It isn’t about the goal, it’s about the journey.” (Or something like that). The journey of the climb to the top.
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January 30th, 2016 at 10:01 am
Yep! And even the descent can be a journey in how we deal with our move out of the limelight with grace and humility. 🙂
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January 30th, 2016 at 10:02 am
Yes, that is very true. 🙂
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January 30th, 2016 at 1:25 pm
It’s all about the ride!
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January 30th, 2016 at 1:26 pm
Yes indeed! And what a ride it is! 🙂
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February 1st, 2016 at 10:23 pm
Isn’t it a wonderful point that in our life, we never know when the zenith hits?
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February 2nd, 2016 at 12:12 am
Never thought of it that way. But now that you mention it…and as I think about it…the words optimist and hope come to mind! 😊
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