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 of summit

Noun

• pinnacle
• top
• zenith
• peak
• height
• culmination
• apex

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

Try bagging the park’s summits, such as Nevada’s second-tallest mountain, Wheeler Peak, at 13,064 feet. —Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026

The peace summit took place as two American warships transited through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the start of the conflict. —Azhar Sukri,kevin Breuninger,terri Cullen, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2026

Verb

Focused on a 2021 expedition in which Icelandic climber John Snorri Sigurjónsson and the Pakistani father-and-son team Ali and Sajid Sadpara attempt to become the first to summit K2 in winter, when conditions are at their harshest. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026

At age 16, the brothers summited Mount Olympus, the 7,965-foot highest peak in Washington’s Olympic Mountains. —Ryan Brennan april 9, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for summit

• plummet

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)