peaked

UK: /ˈpiːkt/ US: /ˈpikɪd/ ,(pēkt, pē′kid; Patho. pē′kid)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

peak•ed² /ˈpikɪd/   adj. 

1. Pathology pale and tired-looking.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

peaked¹  (pēkt, pē′kid), adj. 

1. having a peak:
   a peaked cap.

• late Middle English pekyd. See peak¹, -ed³ 1400–50

peak•ed²  (pē′kid), adj. 

1. Pathology pale and drawn in appearance so as to suggest illness or stress;
   wan and sickly.

• peak² + -ed²

peak′ed•ly, adv. 
peak′ed•ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

peaked / piːkt/ adjective

1. having a peak; pointed

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

peak¹ /pik/   n. [countable]

1. the pointed top of a mountain or ridge.
2. a mountain with a pointed top.
3. the pointed top of anything.
4. the most important level;
   the maximum point or volume of anything:
   at the peak of her career.
5. the front piece of a cap that sticks out over the eyes.

v. [no object]

6. to stick out or forward in a peak.
7. to reach a peak of activity, development, etc.:
   His popularity peaked after the convention.

adj. [before a noun]

8. attaining the highest level, point, etc.:
   peak performance.
9. of or being the time when traffic, use, or demand is greatest and charges, etc., are highest:
   during the peak travel season.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

peak¹  (pēk), n. 

1. the pointed top of a mountain or ridge.
2. a mountain with a pointed summit.
3. the pointed top of anything.
4. the highest or most important point or level:
   the peak of her political career.
5. the maximum point, degree, or volume of anything:
   Oil prices reached their peak last year.
6. a time of the day or year when traffic, use, demand, etc., is greatest and charges, fares, or the like are at the maximum:
   Early evening is the peak on commuter railroads.
7. the higher fare, charges, etc., during such a period:
   If you fly during the Christmas holidays, you'll have to pay peak.
8. Physics
   • the maximum value of a quantity during a specified time interval:
     a voltage peak.
   • the maximum power consumed or produced by a unit or group of units in a stated period of time.
9. a projecting point:
   the peak of a man's beard.
10. See widow's peak. 
11. a projecting front piece, or visor, of a cap.
12. Phonetics nucleus (def. 8a).
13. [Naut.]
    • Naval Terms the contracted part of a ship's hull at the bow or the stern.
    • Naval Terms the upper after corner of a sail that is extended by a gaff. See diag. under sail. 
    • Naval Terms the outer extremity of a gaff.

v.i. 

14. to project in a peak.
15. to attain a peak of activity, development, popularity, etc.:
    The artist peaked in the 1950s.

v.t. 

16. Nautical, Naval Terms to raise the after end of (a yard, gaff, etc.) to or toward an angle above the horizontal.

adj. 

17. being at the point of maximum frequency, intensity, use, etc.;
    busiest or most active:
    Hotel rooms are most expensive during the peak travel seasons.
18. constituting the highest or maximum level, volume, etc.;
    optimal;
    prime:
    a machine running at peak performance.

• Middle Low German pēk pick, pike
• perh. 1520–30

peak′less, adj. 
peak′like′, adj. 
Synonyms

• 2, 4. pinnacle.
• 4. acme, zenith.

Antonyms

• 4. abyss, nadir.

peak²  (pēk), v.i. 

1. Pathology to become weak, thin, and sickly.

• origin, originally uncertain 1500–10

peak′ish, adj. 
peak′ish•ly, adv. 
peak′ish•ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

peak / piːk/ noun

1. a pointed end, edge, or projection: the peak of a roof
2. the pointed summit of a mountain
3. a mountain with a pointed summit
4. the point of greatest development, strength, etc: the peak of my career
5. a sharp increase in a physical quantity followed by a sharp decrease: a voltage peak
6. the maximum value of this quantity
7. (as modifier): peak voltage
8. Also called: visor a projecting piece on the front of some caps
9. 
   See widow's peak
10. the extreme forward (forepeak) or aft (afterpeak) part of the hull
11. (of a fore-and-aft quadrilateral sail) the after uppermost corner
12. the after end of a gaff

verb

1. (transitive) to set (a gaff) or tilt (oars) vertically
2. to form or reach or cause to form or reach a peak or maximum

adjective

1. of or relating to a period of highest use or demand, as for watching television, commuting, etc: peak viewing hours, peak time

Etymology: 16th Century: perhaps from pike², influenced by beak¹; compare Spanish pico, French pic, Middle Low German pēk

ˈpeaky, ˈpeakish adjective