peak

1 of 5

noun

ˈpēk 

1

: a pointed or projecting part of a garment

especially : the visor of a cap or hat

The cap's peak shades his eyes.

2

: promontory

a steep rocky peak

3

: a sharp or pointed end

the peak of a roof

4

a(1)

: the top of a hill or mountain ending in a point

the fog hung … heavily on the peak of the hill

—H. D. Skidmore

(2)

: a prominent mountain usually having a well-defined summit

b

: something resembling a mountain peak

Beat the cream until it forms stiff peaks.

5

a

: the upper aftermost corner of a fore-and-aft sail

b

: the narrow part of a ship's bow or stern or the part of the hold in it

6

a

: the highest level or greatest degree

a singer at the peak of her popularity

b

: a high point in a course of development especially as represented on a graph

The graph shows that murders in the city reached a peak two years ago.

7

: widow's peak

peak

2 of 5

verb (1)

peaked; peaking; peaks

intransitive verb

: to reach a maximum (as of capacity, value, or activity)

—often used with out

transitive verb

: to cause to come to a peak, point, or maximum

peak

3 of 5

adjective

1

: being at or reaching the maximum

peak levels

peak output

peak performance

operating at peak strength/efficiency

Wang thinks that groundwater was jolted free by the quake. The water then trickled down into the streams and reached a peak outpour about 30 days later.

—Thomas Sumner

Air-conditioning is also one of the main contributors to peak electric power demand …

—Shane Cashman

also : of, relating to, or being a period of maximum intensity or activity

And because women, as a whole, leave later for work than men, they tend to travel right smack-dab in the peak hours of congestion (and even more so in the afternoon peak hours, which is partially why those tend to be worse.)

—Tom Vanderbilt

2

: being at the height of popularity, use, or attention

—used before the name of a product, person, cultural trend, etc.

Just when you think we've surely reached peak bourbon, someone else ups the ante. No longer is it enough to have the oldest, the rarest, or the most expensive whiskey, or even to pick a personal barrel from a distillery.

—Dana McMahan

All this is to say, we are at peak Wes Anderson—or rather, we have been for a very, very long time. We have to ask: why is this style so easy to send up? And why is it so hard to dislodge?

—Louis Wise

peak

4 of 5

verb (2)

peaked; peaking; peaks

intransitive verb

1

: to grow thin or sickly

2

: to dwindle away

peak

5 of 5

verb (3)

peaked; peaking; peaks

transitive verb

1

nautical : to set (a gaff, a yard, etc.) nearer the perpendicular

2

rowing : to hold (oars) with blades well raised

Did you know?

Peek vs. Peak vs. Pique

Peek, peak, and pique: they sound the same but mean very different things.

The first one we learn is peek: it has to do with looking, especially furtively or quickly or through a small space, as in "open the box and peek inside." It's both a noun and a verb; when you peek, you take a peek. Our advice for remembering this one is to keep in mind that you peek in order to see.

Peak is the verb you use to talk about reaching a maximum, or coming to a highest point, literally or figuratively, as in "The meteor shower will last for several days but will peak on Sunday." Its noun counterpart, which refers to various pointed or projecting parts, is more common: something that peaks reaches a peak. Just as every mountain has a peak, thinking of the peak—the highest point—is the way to remember that peak is the choice for reaching the highest levels. Associating the "a" in peak with the "a" in maximum or with a capital "A" (the most mountain-like of letters) can be helpful.

Pique is the oddball of this trio. We know the "ique" spelling from the likes of technique, antique, and unique, but pique nonetheless looks a little exotic. It comes from a French word meaning literally "to prick," but its earliest English use was as a noun. The noun is still used: a pique is a transient feeling of wounded vanity—a kind of resentment. As a verb, pique was (and still is, especially in British English) used to mean "to arouse anger or resentment in," as in "Their rudeness piqued me." Now, however, it's most often our interest or curiosity that gets piqued—that is to say, our interest or curiosity is aroused, as in "The large key hanging next on the wall piqued my curiosity."

Pique has another meaning too, though it's less common than any of those already mentioned. Pique sometimes is used to mean "to take pride in (oneself)," as in "She piques herself on her editing skills."

Master this trio, and you can pique yourself on your word skills.

Synonyms

Noun

• alp
• hump
• mount
• mountain

Choose the Right Synonym for peak

summit, peak, pinnacle, climax, apex, acme, culmination mean the highest point attained or attainable.

summit implies the topmost level attainable.

at the summit of the Victorian social scene

peak suggests the highest among other high points.

an artist working at the peak of her powers

pinnacle suggests a dizzying and often insecure height.

the pinnacle of worldly success

climax implies the highest point in an ascending series.

the war was the climax to a series of hostile actions

apex implies the point where all ascending lines converge.

the apex of Dutch culture

acme implies a level of quality representing the perfection of a thing.

a statue that was once deemed the acme of beauty

culmination suggests the outcome of a growth or development representing an attained objective.

the culmination of years of effort

Examples of peak in a Sentence

Noun

a line of rocky peaks

the peak of the roof

The recipe says to beat the cream until it forms soft peaks.

At her peak she was writing a new novel every year.

Violence reached a peak just before the election.

The graph shows that murders in the city declined from a peak of 173 in 2004.

Adjective

The factory has been running at peak capacity for the past year.

the peak season for fishing

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Monday morning is forecast to be sunny, followed by temperature peaks in the high-70s to lower-80s, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. —Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024

Go at peak traffic time and step back behind their landscape plants. —Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024

Eleven rate hikes by the Fed have helped send inflation tumbling from its peak over the past year and a half. —Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024

In her early days at Gombe, Dr. Jane Goodall spent many hours sitting on a high peak with binoculars or a telescope, searching the forest below for chimpanzees. —Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024

And, in this, Trump’s lawsuit confessed the truth: this scheme only works if Trump re-summits the peak of American politics. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024

More than 40,000 people were killed last year in traffic crashes, according to preliminary data released Monday, remaining above pre-pandemic levels but slightly down from their peak in 2021. —Mike Gagliardi, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024

Estate planners saw a spike in wills and trusts at the pandemic’s peak, a time when many Americans were stuck in their homes and preoccupied with their health. —USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

After the volcano infamously erupted in 1980, there is a massive crater extending two miles across the top, where its peak once was. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024

Verb

The comptroller’s economic report found that 100,000 Maryland women have dropped out of the workforce between 2019 and 2021, peaking among those ages 25 to 34 — a rate twice as high as the national average. —Emily Guskin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024

The song peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and put a dent in Meek’s resume forever. —Angel Diaz, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024

Eclipse viewing in Phoenix In Phoenix, residents will be able to see the moon move into the sun’s path around 10:08 a.m., peaking at 11:19 a.m., and finishing at 12:34 p.m. —Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024

The eclipse will peak at 11:11 a.m., when the sun will appear as an upside-down crescent. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024

Issues were first reported shortly after 6 p.m. ET peaking about 45 minutes later, according to Downdetector. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024

Iowa’s Elite Eight win against LSU, a repeat of last year’s championship game, drew an audience of 12.3 million, according to ESPN, peaking at 16.1 million viewers and setting the all-time ratings record for a women’s college basketball game. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

But since 2019, China’s sluggish growth has led many observers to conclude that China has already peaked as an economic power. —Nicholas R. Lardy, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024

Special events and peak visitation times could cause prices to change. —The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024

Adjective

To make things more challenging, the eclipse coincides with peak Spring Break travel days. —Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Chefs are given a head count at the beginning of the evening, at peak time and near the end of dinner. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024

Another drop in sentiment followed during peak inflation prices. —Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024

Here’s how to keep your precious stash at peak freshness. —Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 12 Mar. 2024

Energy Vault’s battery installation will allow for nearly 69 MW’s worth of peak demand to be supplied to the grid before a single cubic foot of natural gas needs to be burned. —Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

The service was forced to cancel thousands of appointments during a period of peak winter demand. —Harold Maass, The Week Us, theweek, 4 Jan. 2024

Perhaps an even bigger concern is whether Lake’s political operating costs will leave her with too few resources when the campaign reaches peak interest months from now. —The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024

Several factors within the economy are contributing to this shift away from peak employment. —Stephen Miles, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb (1), and Adjective

perhaps alteration of pike

Verb (2)

origin unknown

Verb (3)

from apeak held vertically

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb (1)

1887, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adjective

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (3)

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing peak

• peak flow meter
• widow's peak
• peak season
• off-peak

Kids Definition

peak

1 of 2 noun

ˈpēk 

1

: a part of a piece of clothing that is pointed or sticks out

especially : the front part of a cap or hat

2

a

: the top of a hill or mountain

b

: a mountain all by itself

3

: the highest point of development

the peak of perfection

peak adjective

peak

2 of 2 verb

: to reach or cause to come to a peak, point, or maximum