pinnacle

American  

[pin-uh-kuhl] / ˈpɪn ə kəl /

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.

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verb (used with object)

pinnacled, pinnacling

1. to place on or as on a pinnacle.

2. to form a pinnacle on; crown.

pinnacle British  

/ 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

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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

Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of pinnacle

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

Example Sentences

Ford said senior master technicians like Hummel average about $67,000 after five years on the job, while only those “at the pinnacle of the profession” earn $120,000 or more.

From The Wall Street Journal

He reached the pinnacle of his sport as an amateur, winning gold at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and then climbed the mountain again as a pro.

From The Wall Street Journal

To flip it the other way, Australians see an Ashes tour of England as the absolute pinnacle.

From BBC

That griminess has proven effective at the pinnacle of the sport.

From The Wall Street Journal

Picture a long, slow climb up the mountain of fame and wealth heading for a sign marked “Happiness”—only to discover, at the pinnacle, that happiness is actually on another mountaintop, across a ravine.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• apex
• culmination
• greatest
• height
• peak