What does "pyramid" mean?
An ancient massive construction with a square or rectangular base and four triangular sides meeting in an apex, such as those built as tombs in Egypt or as bases for temples in Mesoamerica.
Pyramid
/ˈpɪɹəmɪd/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An ancient massive construction with a square or rectangular base and four triangular sides meeting in an apex, such as those built as tombs in Egypt or as bases for temples in Mesoamerica.
- Grammar: pyramid is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: add to, aggrandize, amplify, animal kingdom.
- Useful contrasts: cylinder, disorder, disorganize.
- Usage evidence: The secret of the pyramid was brought to light by science.
How to use "pyramid"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pyramid" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pyramid" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pyramid" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pyramid" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pyramid" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "add to" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pyramid", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An ancient massive construction with a square or rectangular base and four triangular sides meeting in an apex, such as those built as tombs in Egypt or as bases for temples in Mesoamerica. countable, uncountable
- 2 (stock market) a series of transactions in which the speculator increases their holdings by using the rising market value of those holdings as margin for further purchases wordnet
- 3 A construction in the shape of a pyramid, usually with a square or rectangular base. countable, uncountable
"[T]he owners of Doddington Hall, in Lincolnshire, have brought the folly into the 21st century, by building a 30ft pyramid in the grounds of the Elizabethan manor."
- 4 a polyhedron having a polygonal base and triangular sides with a common vertex wordnet
- 5 A solid with triangular lateral faces and a polygonal (often square or rectangular) base. countable, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Any structure or diagram with many members at the bottom and progressively fewer towards the top. broadly, countable, uncountable
"The company was organized as a pyramid, with a CEO in charge of four directors, each heading up a department."
- 7 A medullary pyramid, the medial-most bumps on the ventral side of the medulla oblongata countable, uncountable
- 8 The game of pool in which the balls are placed in the form of a triangle at spot. UK, countable, dated, uncountable
- 9 A pyramid scheme. countable, uncountable
- 10 Alternative letter-case form of Pyramid. (a solitaire card game) alt-of, uncountable
- 11 The triangular layout of cards in the game of Pyramid. countable, uncountable
"Build your pyramid with all cards face down, except the cards in the bottom row."
- 12 An approximately triangular headline consisting of several centered lines of text of increasing length. countable, uncountable
"[…] with a cross-line banner, a set of two-column pyramids beneath it in the middle, and on each side of these exactly the same thing,—something between a headline and a story—"$50,000 Reward for—" etc."
Verb
- 1 To build up or be arranged in the form of a pyramid.
"The paint was stacked in neatly pyramided lots along the concrete floor."
- 2 increase rapidly and progressively step by step on a broad base wordnet
- 3 To combine (a series of genes) into a single genotype. transitive
- 4 arrange or build up as if on the base of a pyramid wordnet
- 5 To employ, or take part in, a pyramid scheme. intransitive
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 use or deal in (as of stock or commercial transaction) in a pyramid deal wordnet
- 7 To engage in pyramid trading.
"Multiply this by the number of shares you traded, and add other positions if you pyramided."
- 8 enlarge one's holdings on an exchange on a continued rise by using paper profits as margin to buy additional amounts wordnet
- 9 To increase to or towards a peak. dated
Proper Noun
- 1 A solitaire card game where the cards are arranged as a triangle (a "pyramid") and the object is to get the cards from the bottom to the top.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The secret of the pyramid was brought to light by science."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pyramid"?
Common synonyms include: add to, aggrandize, amplify, animal kingdom, antenna tower, anthill.
How do you use "pyramid" in a sentence?
The secret of the pyramid was brought to light by science.
How do you pronounce "pyramid"?
Pronounced /ˈpɪɹəmɪd/.
Etymology
From French pyramide, from Old French piramide, from Latin pȳramis, pȳramidis, from Ancient Greek πῡραμίς (pūramís), possibly from πῡρός (pūrós, “wheat”) + ἀμάω (amáō, “reap”) or from Egyptian pr-m-ws (“height of a pyramid”), from pr (“(one that) comes forth”) + m (“from”) + ws (“height”). Schenkel and K. Lang proposed hypothetical Coptic *ⲡⲓⲣⲁⲙ (*piram) or *ⲫⲣⲁⲙ (*phram) derived from Egyptian mr via metathesis as a source of πῡραμίς (pūramís) while Schenkel also suggested it being the source of Arabic هَرَم (haram) although the latter is considered far-fetched by Takacs.