A pinnacle is the highest point of something, either a tall pointed rock or tower, or the most successful moment in someone’s life or career.
From Old French 'pinacle', from Late Latin 'pinnaculum', a diminutive of 'pinna' meaning 'wing, battlement, peak'. It originally described small pointed towers on buildings.
Gothic cathedrals literally grew pinnacles as stone spikes reaching toward the sky. When we say 'the pinnacle of success', we’re climbing that same imaginary tower in our minds.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.