pinnacle

apogée, sommet

Moment où une personne ou une chose connaît sa plus grande réussite.

En anglais simple : The point when someone or something is most successful or achieves the most.

• This victory was the pinnacle of his career.
• She reached the pinnacle of success at thirty.
• Many players regard an Olympic medal as the pinnacle of sporting achievement.

Comment l'utiliser : the pinnacle of something (Winning the award was the pinnacle of her career.)

Synonymes : peak, high point, zenith

Contraires : low point, nadir

Expressions courantes : pinnacle of success, reach the pinnacle, career pinnacle

sommet

La partie la plus haute de quelque chose.

En anglais simple : The very top of something.

• Snow covered the mountain's pinnacle.
• We finally reached the pinnacle of the ridge.
• From the pinnacle, she could see the entire valley.

Comment l'utiliser : the pinnacle of something (A flag flew from the pinnacle of the tower.)

Synonymes : top, peak, summit

Contraires : bottom, base

Expressions courantes : the pinnacle, pinnacle of something

piton, aiguille rocheuse

Rocher ou montagne haute et étroite, avec un sommet pointu et irrégulier.

En anglais simple : A tall, narrow rock or mountain with a sharp, rough top.

• A tall pinnacle rose above the valley.
• The climbers rested beside a jagged rock pinnacle.
• Wind has shaped these sandstone pinnacles over thousands of years.

Synonymes : spire, crag

Expressions courantes : rock pinnacle, sandstone pinnacle, jagged pinnacle

pinacle

Petite tour pointue qui décore le haut d’un bâtiment ou d’un de ses supports.

En anglais simple : A small pointed tower used to decorate the top of a building or one of its supports.

• A stone pinnacle tops each buttress.
• The cathedral's pinnacles need urgent repairs.
• Workers replaced the damaged pinnacle above the west window.

Expressions courantes : gothic pinnacle, stone pinnacle, decorative pinnacle

placer au sommet

Mettre une personne ou une chose sur un sommet élevé et pointu.

En anglais simple : To put someone or something on a high, pointed top.

• They pinnacled the statue on the tower.
• The builder pinnacled a golden bird on the roof.
• The story describes a giant who pinnacles his victims on mountain peaks.

Comment l'utiliser : pinnacle someone/something on something (The sculptor pinnacled the figure on a narrow stone peak.)

Synonymes : perch

Expressions courantes : pinnacle something, pinnacle someone

orner de pinacles

Décorer un bâtiment ou ses supports en y ajoutant de petites tours pointues.

En anglais simple : To add small pointed towers to a building or its supports.

• The architect chose to pinnacle the tower.
• Builders pinnacled the church's outer supports.
• They plan to pinnacle both gables with carved stone ornaments.

Expressions courantes : pinnacle a tower, pinnacle a buttress