pinnacle

[pin-uh-kuhl]

noun

1. a lofty peak.

2. the highest or culminating point, as of success, power, fame, etc..

   the pinnacle of one's career.

   Synonyms: zenith, summit, peak, acme, apex
   Antonyms: nadir

3. any pointed, towering part or formation, as of rock.

   Synonyms: needle

4. Architecture.,  a relatively small, upright structure, commonly terminating in a gable, a pyramid, or a cone, rising above the roof or coping of a building, or capping a tower, buttress, or other projecting architectural member.

verb (used with object)

pinnacled, pinnacling 

1. to place on or as on a pinnacle.

2. to form a pinnacle on; crown.

pinnacle

/ ˈpɪnəkəl /

noun

1. the highest point or level, esp of fame, success, etc

2. a towering peak, as of a mountain

3. a slender upright structure in the form of a cone, pyramid, or spire on the top of a buttress, gable, or tower

verb

1. to set on or as if on a pinnacle

2. to furnish with a pinnacle or pinnacles

3. to crown with a pinnacle

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinnacle¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pinacle, from Middle French, from Late Latin pinnāculum “gable,” equivalent to Latin pinn(a) “raised part of a parapet,” literally, “wing, feather ” ( pinna ) + -āculum; tabernacle

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinnacle¹

C14: via Old French from Late Latin pinnāculum a peak, from Latin pinna wing

Example Sentences

But after 20 years at the pinnacle, the Mexican icon has little left to prove.

From BBC

Setbacks are inevitable in sport, but the brutal nature of the first major sucker punch of Keely Hodgkinson's career is that it followed the pinnacle.

From BBC

Despite his glowing review of his own performance at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz still believes he has a way to go before he reaches his pinnacle.

From BBC

For any player, reaching a Grand Slam final is the pinnacle of the sport.

From BBC

He's got all of his weapons back and it could be Burrow's year to reach the pinnacle.

From BBC

Related Words

• apex 
• culmination 
• greatest 
• height 
• peak 

When To Use

What does pinnacle mean?

A pinnacle is the highest point of something, especially success or fame. The pinnacle of a person’s career, for example, is the point at which they are most successful in their field.In a literal sense, a pinnacle is a tall peak of a mountain.In architecture, a pinnacle is an upright structure (usually some kind of cone, pyramid, or spire) that rises up from the roof of a building or caps a tower.Example: Reaching the pinnacle of Sagarmāthā was the pinnacle of my mountaineering career.