peak
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the pointed top of a mountain or hill.
n.the summit or highest point of a mountain, hill, or range, typically terminating in a point.
Simple“The climbers finally reached the peak of the mountain just before the storm arrived.”
In context“From the valley floor, the jagged peak remained hidden behind a thick veil of mist until the afternoon winds cleared the sky.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the point when something is at its highest level or most successful.
n.the point of highest intensity, value, or achievement within a specific period.
Simple“Traffic usually reaches its peak around five o'clock in the afternoon.”
In context“The athlete was at the peak of her career when she won three gold medals in a single season.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the front part of a hat that shades your eyes from the sun.
n.the stiff, projecting front part of a cap; often referred to as a visor in American English.
Simple“He pulled the peak of his cap down to hide his face from the cameras.”
In context“The officer adjusted the peak of his service cap, ensuring it sat perfectly level before the inspection began.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.something that is of the highest possible quality or the best example of its kind.
n.a state of exceptional quality or the quintessential representation of a genre or type.
Simple“That new superhero movie is peak cinema.”
In context“The internet erupted in memes, claiming the season finale was peak television for its unexpected plot twists.”
Teacher's tipThis usage is very common in internet culture to describe media or moments that are perfect or archetypal.
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to reach the highest point or level.
v.to reach a maximum level of intensity, volume, or activity. Often used as an intransitive verb.
Simple“The fever usually peaks in the middle of the night.”
In context“Economists predict that inflation will peak in the second quarter before gradually declining toward the end of the year.”
Antonyms - 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.used to describe the time when something is at its highest level or most busy.
adj.relating to the period of maximum demand or greatest intensity.
Simple“Electricity costs more during peak hours when everyone is using it.”
In context“The hotel increases its rates significantly during the peak tourist season to capitalise on the high demand.”
- 07 C2 Proficiency
adj.used to describe a situation that is very bad, unfair, or unlucky.
adj.denoting a situation that is unfortunate, disappointing, or particularly difficult.
Simple“It is so peak that your car broke down on the way to the interview.”
In context“Missing the last train home when it is raining is absolutely peak.”
Teacher's tipThis is specifically Multicultural London English (MLE). In this dialect, 'peak' can mean 'very bad', which is the opposite of its standard 'top quality' slang meaning.
Synonyms
“Romania has declared a state of energy emergency throughout August and asked companies and households to reduce consumption during peak hours.”
“The stock quadrupled in value before most of those gains were wiped out, leaving his investment, now worth about 300 million won, at roughly half the value of its peak.”
From earlier peake, peek, peke, from Middle English pek (in place names), itself an alteration of pike, pyke, pyk (“a sharp point, pike”), from Old English pīc, piic (“a pike, needle, pin, peak, pinnacle”), from Proto-West Germanic pīk, from Proto-Germanic pīkaz (“peak”). Cognate with Dutch piek (“pike, point, summit, peak”), Danish pik (“pike, peak”), Swedish pik (“pike, lance, point, peak”), Norwegian pik (“peak, summit”). More at pike.
Unknown. Perhaps related to Etymology 1 above in the sense of "becoming pointed" through emaciation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.