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

The World Cup finals are the pinnacle of most players' careers.

Read more on BBC

More than 400 athletes from nearly 40 countries took part in this year's event, which organisers describe as "one of the pinnacles of the strength world".

Read more on BBC

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.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.