Word
pinnacle
Phoneticspin·na·cle, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɪnəkəɫ/
UK/pˈɪnəkəl/
Definitions
01greatest achievement
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. the most successful or important part of something.
n. the culmination or highest point of development or achievement.
“Winning the championship was the pinnacle of her sporting career.”
“The architect considered the cathedral to be the pinnacle of his professional life, representing decades of technical refinement and artistic vision.”
02a rock peak
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Science Technical
n. a high, pointed piece of rock.
n. a high, tapering rock formation or mountain peak.
“The climbers finally reached the rocky pinnacle just before the storm hit.”
“The geological survey identified several limestone pinnacles that had been carved by centuries of wind erosion along the coast.”
03architecture
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical
n. a small, pointed tower on top of a building.
n. a relatively small, upright structure, commonly terminating in a pyramid or cone, used to ornament the top of a buttress or gable.
“The old church was decorated with stone pinnacles that pointed toward the sky.”
“The restoration team spent months meticulously repairing the Gothic pinnacles that had been damaged by acid rain and urban pollution.”
04to place on a peak
C2 · Proficiency Literary
v. to put something on a high point or to give a building pointed towers.
v. to place on or as if on a pinnacle; to furnish a structure with pinnacles.
“The designer decided to pinnacle the tower with a golden statue.”
“The cathedral was pinnacled with intricate stonework that drew the eye upward, creating an impression of immense height and spiritual aspiration.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
Real-World Examples
“He is a lawyer who rose to the pinnacle of soccer and is now trying to hold onto his job.” “But Phillips, who died in 1973, never witnessed the pinnacle of the genre she created.” Etymology
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French pinacle, pinnacle, from Late Latin pinnaculum (“a peak, pinnacle”), from Latin pinna (“a pinnacle”); see pin. Doublet of panache.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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