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

It was the pinnacle of success, the American Dream.

Read more on MarketWatch

Texas-based Heritage Auctions, which hosted Thursday's sale, called it the "pinnacle of comic collecting".

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In order for England to reclaim its place at the pinnacle of the game, its coach had issued a blanket ban on negativity.

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I remember the dressing room under Wenger and the pinnacle of that group - there was such an aura about the group, and there were so many leaders.

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It's a line that could have been spoken by Cheney when he was at the pinnacle of American politics.

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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.