summit

1 of 2

noun

sum·​mit ˈsə-mət 

1

: top, apex

especially : the highest point : peak

2

: the topmost level attainable

the summit of human fame

3

a

: the highest level of officials

especially : the diplomatic level of heads of government

b

: a conference of highest-level officials (such as heads of government)

an economic summit

summit

2 of 2

verb

summited; summiting; summits

intransitive verb

1

: to participate in a summit conference

2

: to climb to the summit

summited on May 29

Synonyms

Noun

• acme
• apex
• apogee
• capstone
• climax
• crescendo
• crest
• crown
• culmination
• head
• height
• high noon
• high-water mark
• meridian
• ne plus ultra
• noon
• noontime
• peak
• pinnacle
• sum
• tip-top
• top
• zenith

Choose the Right Synonym for summit

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 summit in a Sentence

Noun

The mountain range has summits over 10,000 feet high.

The climbers failed to reach the summit.

Leaders of several nations attended the economic summit.

A summit on global warming was held that year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

If finding indoor shelter is not an option: • Stay away from open fields, hill summits, or ridge tops. —Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024

This year’s summit features a variety of speakers across a diverse range of sectors, including politics, business, health and science, culture, and more. —Sanya Mansoor, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024

Hovering over the landscape was stately Mount Asama, its summit tipped with white. —Katie Kitamura, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024

But the Quad summit was postponed twice in the past year and Chinese influence steadily grows while its opponents continue to drag their feet. —Matan Peled, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024

Governments could jointly decide to establish a national approach to climate financing at the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan this year and pledge to report their commitments at the 2025 summit in Brazil. —Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

The most popular are the east and west summit trails, which span 1.4 miles each and culminate at the 1,011-foot summit of Pinnacle Mountain. —Jesse Cain, arkansasonline.com, 22 Apr. 2024

The drain has become so damaging to Africa’s rural economy that in February the 55-member African Union approved a continent-wide ban on the slaughter of donkeys for their skins at its heads-of-state summit. —Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2024

The catchy track logged four weeks at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1997, and is one of the group’s nine U.K. No. 1 singles. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Apr. 2024

Verb

Workers have used the funds to summit Mount St. Helens in Washington State, take a two-week trip to Japan, and bike through Ecuador to Cotopaxi, an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains and the company’s namesake. —Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2024

In October, Carrasco even summited the sheer 3,000-foot granite face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park — a feat beyond the capacity of many experienced climbers. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024

Permits are required for climbers to summit the volcano past 4,000 feet. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024

After visiting the town, take a hike to the top – summiting Monemvasia is a key experience on any Peloponnesian visit. —Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2024

The climbers also turned around when the weather conditions started to get worse, instead of continuing to try to summit Baldy. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024

Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Knowing that people will still climb his mountains, Reiber’s latest tool is an electronic waiver (signed by Washington Post journalists who summited Democrat). —Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 23 July 2023

It’s been a joy to share this outdoorsy corner of the newspaper with you and go on all kinds of adventures — from hiking with my cat in the hills of L.A. to summiting imposing Mt. Baldy in the snow. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024

So instead of getting a bunch of dehydrated backpacker chow for your friend who is trying to summit several mountains in the next year, buy them one of these gifts instead. —Carina Finn, Bon Appétit, 14 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English somete, from Anglo-French sumet, diminutive of sum top, from Latin summum, neuter of summus highest — more at sum

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1955, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing summit

• pre-summit

Kids Definition

summit

noun

sum·​mit

ˈsəm-ət

1

: top entry 1 sense 1a, apex

especially : the highest point (as of a mountain)

2

: the topmost level that can be reached

3

a

: the highest level of officials

especially : the diplomatic level of heads of government

b

: a conference of the highest-level officials (as heads of government)