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

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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

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verb (2)

peaked; peaking; peaks

intransitive verb

1

: to grow thin or sickly

2

: to dwindle away

peak

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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

At the Arrowverse’s peak, with multiple shows on the air, DC Superhero series could take on this immediacy, without the self-consciousness of having to sell audiences on superhero shows. —Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024

Squash is at its peak this time of year and is a perfect base for secret sauces and/or unexpected ingredients that will make a meal memorable. —Claudia Alexander, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

Verb

Harris erased Trump’s lead over Biden since announcing her candidacy on July 21, though her edge has decreased over the past two months, peaking at 3.7 points in late August, according to FiveThirtyEight’s weighted polling average. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Waits peaked at about 45 minutes at the busiest sites in Maricopa County, the state’s largest voting jurisdiction. —The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Here is how the richest former U.S. presidents rank in terms of their peak personal wealth, according to a 2023 report from 24/7 Wall St. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024

This is peak festival season, so music lovers are well catered to. —Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 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

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