peak
noun · verb · adjective
Simple meaning
The very highest point or amount of something
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
peekIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpik
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The highest value reached by some quantity in a time period.
geography
The top, or one of the tops, of a hill, mountain, or range, ending in a point.
The highest point (of something)
The top or extreme point of something (usually a mountain or hill)
“The view from the peak was magnificent.”
geography
The whole hill or mountain, especially when isolated.
geography
A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap.
verb
intransitive
To rise or extend into a peak or point; to form, or appear as, a peak.
To reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity
“That wild, speculative spirit peaked in 1929.”
intransitive
To reach a highest degree or maximum.
intransitive
To become sick or wan.
intransitive
To acquire sharpness of figure or features; hence, to look thin or sickly.
intransitive
To pry; to peep slyly.
adjective
At the greatest extent; maximum.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The highest value reached by some quantity in a time period.
Used this way, peak is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Top / wholenoun
“The view from the peak was magnificent.”
Reachverb
“That wild, speculative spirit peaked in 1929.”
More ways to use peak
- “The view from the peak was magnificent.”noun
- “That wild, speculative spirit peaked in 1929.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The season when travel is most active and rates are highest.
A cap with a flat circular top and a visor.
The summit of a mountain.
19,370 feet high.
A mountain peak in the Rockies in central Colorado (14,109 feet high).
A mountain peak in the Tien Shan mountains in northern India (24,406 feet high).
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.