pinnacle

pinnacle — noun

1. the highest point that someone or something reaches in a career, sport, art, or

1.名詞C1
釋義

the highest point that someone or something reaches in a career, sport, art, or any field where progress can be measured — the moment when nothing greater seems possible.

例句

Winning the Olympic gold medal was the pinnacle of Maya's swimming career.

the pinnacle of [someone's] career

Many critics call the novel the pinnacle of twentieth-century Japanese literature.

the pinnacle of + field of art/work

同義詞
  • peak

    more everyday and shorter; can be physical or figurative

  • summit

    often used in business or political contexts; suggests effort to climb

  • zenith

    literary; emphasises the brief moment of greatest power or fame

  • apex

    more technical or formal; common in writing about history or biology

反義詞
  • nadir

    formal — the lowest point, the opposite end of the same scale

  • low point

    everyday phrasing for the worst moment

文法句型

the pinnacle of + noun

用法筆記

Almost always singular and preceded by 'the'. Subject of the 'of'-phrase is typically an abstract field (career, achievement, success, art, sport) rather than a physical thing. Strong positive connotation — implies the very top, with little room above.

常見錯誤

❌She is at a pinnacle of her career.
✅She is at the pinnacle of her career.
💡almost always definite article 'the', not 'a'.
❌The pinnacles of his career were many.
✅The high points of his career were many.
💡'pinnacle' usually names one single highest moment, so plural sounds odd.

2. a small, tall, pointed structure standing on the upper edge or corner of a build

2.名詞C2
釋義

a small, tall, pointed structure standing on the upper edge or corner of a building, often carved in stone and shaped like a thin spire — common on Gothic churches and old castles. Also used for a sharp pointed peak of a rock or mountain.

例句

Stone pinnacles rose from each corner of the cathedral roof.

stone pinnacles on cathedral / church roof

Carved pinnacles topped the Gothic church in the village of Saint-Émilion.

carved pinnacles + topped + building

同義詞
  • spire

    the tall pointed top of a tower; usually larger and more central than a pinnacle

  • turret

    small tower at the corner of a building, but rounded or square — not necessarily pointed

  • peak

    more general word for any pointed mountain top

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is concrete and physical, modified by adjectives like 'stone', 'carved', 'narrow', 'rocky'. Often appears in tour-guide writing, architecture history, and mountaineering accounts. The 'of'-phrase, when it appears, names a material (pinnacle of rock) or a building (pinnacle of the cathedral) — not an achievement.

常見錯誤

❌The church has a tall pinnacle on the front, where bells ring.
✅The church has a tall steeple on the front, where bells ring.
💡'pinnacle' is a small decorative spire, not the main bell tower; 'steeple' is the right word.
❌They climbed up to the pinnacle of the hill for the view.
✅They climbed up to the top of the hill for the view.
💡gentle hilltops are not 'pinnacles'; the word needs a sharp, pointed peak.