'apogeous' originates from Greek via Latin and French, ultimately from the Greek word 'apogaion' where 'apo-' meant 'away' and 'gē' (or 'gaia') meant 'earth'.

'apogeous' developed from the noun 'apogee' (from French 'apogée' / Late Latin 'apogaeum'), with the adjectival suffix '-ous' added in English to form 'apogeous'.

Initially tied to the literal astronomical sense of 'the point farthest from the earth,' the word has also been used figuratively to denote a culminating or extreme point.