peak
peak — noun
- peaksingular
- peaksplural
1. the moment, level, or amount at which something is as high, strong, good, or int
the moment, level, or amount at which something is as high, strong, good, or intense as it can be.
Hotel prices hit a peak during the New Year holiday week.
reach a peak for the highest level
At its peak, the bakery sold six hundred buns a day.
phrase: at its peak
The singer reached her peak in her early thirties.
reach your peak in a career
The chart shows a sharp peak in river levels after midnight.
peak shown on a graph
- reach a peak
- at its peak
- holiday peak
- peak performance
- a sharp peak
- high point
broader and often used for a memorable or especially good moment
- climax
often stresses the most exciting or dramatic point in a sequence
- apex
more formal and common in technical or written contexts
Grammar Patterns
reach a peak
be at a peak
peak in + activity/value
Usage Note
Common with charts, prices, demand, or performance. Distinguish from noun 2, which is a physical mountain top rather than the highest stage of an activity or amount.
Common Mistakes
2. a mountain's sharp top, or a steep mountain marked by a narrow summit.
a mountain's sharp top, or a steep mountain marked by a narrow summit.
Snow still covered the highest peak above the village in June.
mountain peak with physical location
By sunrise, the climbers could finally see the western peak.
peak as one top of a mountain range
Dark clouds hid the peak for most of the afternoon.
Our guide chose a lower peak for the children's first climb.
peak meaning a mountain itself
- mountain peak
- snow-covered peak
- rocky peak
- distant peak
- jagged peak
Grammar Patterns
a mountain peak
snow-covered peak
climb a peak
Usage Note
Usually refers to a mountain top you can see or climb. In some contexts it can mean the whole mountain, especially when speakers compare one peak with another.
Common Mistakes
3. the hard front flap on a cap, which helps keep sun out of your eyes.
the hard front flap on a cap, which helps keep sun out of your eyes.
Leo pulled down the peak of his cap against the sun.
the peak of a cap
Rain dripped from the cap's peak onto Mia's glasses.
cap's peak with possessive form
The school badge was sewn just above the green peak.
A bent peak made the old cricket cap look uneven.
- cap peak
- baseball-cap peak
- pull down the peak
- bent peak
Grammar Patterns
the peak of a cap
pull down your peak
Usage Note
Mainly British English. It is used for caps with a firm front part, not for the wide round brim of a hat.
Common Mistakes
peak — adjective
- peakpositive
- peakercomparative
- peakestsuperlative
1. used for the period when the largest number of people are using a service or doi
used for the period when the largest number of people are using a service or doing an activity.
Trains are packed during peak hours on the red line.
peak hours for busiest travel time
The restaurant hires extra staff for peak season in July and August.
peak season before a time noun
Please avoid the website during peak shopping time tonight.
Room prices rise fast in peak holiday weeks.
- peak hours
- peak season
- peak travel time
- peak holiday period
Grammar Patterns
peak time
peak hours
peak season
Usage Note
Usually comes before time nouns such as hours, times, season, or period. Distinguish from adjective 2, which describes the height of a number or rate rather than the busiest part of a schedule.
Common Mistakes
2. used for a figure, rate, speed, or amount that is at its highest point.
used for a figure, rate, speed, or amount that is at its highest point.
The machine reached peak speed just before the final test.
peak + measurement noun
Doctors watched his peak heart rate during the race.
peak rate in a measured reading
The company added servers for peak demand on Friday night.
Peak wind levels closed the bridge for two hours.
- peak rate
- peak speed
- peak demand
- peak level
- peak temperature
Grammar Patterns
peak level
peak rate
peak demand
peak speed
Usage Note
Common before words for measurements or amounts, such as demand, flow, rate, speed, or temperature. Distinguish from adjective 1, which focuses on the busiest time period rather than the top figure itself.
Common Mistakes
3. used to say that something has become so widely copied or noticed that it now fe
used to say that something has become so widely copied or noticed that it now feels tired, annoying, or no longer cool.
By 2024, beige coffee shops felt peak after three opened nearby.
informal: be peak after copying
That slogan is peak office humor now, not fresh at all.
peak used to show overdone fashion
After every brand copied it, neon green looked peak.
be peak after widespread copying
Luca said the cafe's wall quotes felt peak once every shop copied them.
- peak trend
- peak social media
- peak internet style
- peak office humor
- overdone
plain and widely understood, without the slang tone
- played out
informal and close in meaning, especially for trends that no longer feel fresh
- stale
broader and can describe ideas, jokes, or styles that feel old
Grammar Patterns
peak + trend/thing
be peak
Usage Note
A strongly informal comment on trends, jokes, or styles. It usually suggests not just popularity but a turning point where the speaker now finds the thing tired or embarrassing.
Common Mistakes
peak — verb
- peakpresent simple I / you / we / they
- peaks3rd person singular
- peaking-ing form
- peakedpast simple
1. to rise until you arrive at the highest level, strongest point, or best stage.
to rise until you arrive at the highest level, strongest point, or best stage.
Electricity use usually peaks at noon in this office tower.
peak at + time
Her fever peaked at thirty-nine degrees before dawn.
peak at + number
Tourist numbers peak in August on the small island.
peak in + month
The team's form peaked after three straight home wins.
- peak at 90%
- peak in summer
- peak after lunch
- peak early
- bottom out
reach the lowest point before stabilizing or rising again
- decline
move downward instead of upward
Grammar Patterns
peak at + number
peak in + month/year
peak after + event
Usage Note
The subject is usually a number, a condition, an activity, or performance. It commonly takes at with a figure and in with a period of time.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For noun 1, peak means the highest level or best stage of something such as demand, skill, or popularity. High point is broader and often sounds more positive or personal, as in the high point of a trip. Climax usually points to the most dramatic or exciting moment in a story or event, not simply the highest number. Apex is more formal and often appears in technical, business, or academic writing. Summit can also be used metaphorically, but it often suggests a major achievement after effort and still keeps a mountain image more strongly than peak. Sales can reach a peak in December, but the high point of Mia's year may be her graduation.
Common collocations
Etymology
Peak entered English in the Middle English period from a form meaning 'pointed'. It is related to words such as pike and pick, which share the idea of a sharp tip. The earliest use referred to a pointed mountain top, and English later extended that image to the highest stage of prices, activity, skill, and other things. From the same idea came the adjective uses in phrases like peak hours and peak demand, and the verb use meaning 'rise to the top point'.