VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

pyramid

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈpɪrəmɪd/
US/ˈpɪrəmɪd/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A huge stone structure with a square base and four sloping triangular sides that rise to a point, built in ancient times as a tomb or temple.

    Grammar: Count noun; often capitalized with a place name: the Pyramids of Giza.

    Patterns

    • the pyramids of somewhere

    We climbed down into the burial chamber of the pyramid.

    The pyramids at Giza have stood for over four thousand years.

    Tourists queued in the heat to see the Great Pyramid.

  2. nouncountable

    Any object or arrangement shaped like a pyramid, with a broad base narrowing toward the top.

    Grammar: Used for shapes and stacks: a pyramid of tins.

    Patterns

    • a pyramid of something

    The waiter built a pyramid of oranges on the display table.

    Cheerleaders formed a human pyramid at the end of the routine.

    Draw a pyramid and label its base and its apex.

  3. nouncountablefigurative

    A system or organization in which a few people hold the top positions and many more sit at lower levels.

    Grammar: Often describes ranks or populations: the corporate pyramid.

    Patterns

    • the bottom of the pyramid
    • the top of the pyramid

    She worked her way up the management pyramid over twenty years.

    In the food pyramid, grains form the widest layer.

    Most of the workers sit at the base of the pyramid.

  4. nouncountableinformal

    A fraudulent money scheme in which early members are paid with money from newer recruits, and which collapses when recruitment slows.

    Grammar: Often used in the compound pyramid scheme.

    Patterns

    • a pyramid scheme

    The investment turned out to be a pyramid, and thousands lost their savings.

    Police shut down the pyramid after months of complaints.

    He warned his friends that the offer sounded like a pyramid.

Word forms

pluralpyramids

Common combinations

the Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid was once the tallest structure in the world.
a pyramid scheme
Selling to your friends and recruiting them is a classic pyramid scheme.
the food pyramid
The school poster showed the food pyramid with vegetables at the base.
a human pyramid
The gymnasts formed a human pyramid three layers high.
the base of the pyramid
Entry-level staff are at the base of the pyramid.
the top of the pyramid
Only a handful of players reach the top of the pyramid.

Synonyms and how they differ

hierarchy
Hierarchy describes ranked levels of authority and has no shape, while pyramid adds a picture of few at the top and many below.
stack
A stack is any pile of things, while a pyramid is a pile that tapers to a point.
tomb
A tomb is any burial place, and a pyramid is only one grand type of tomb.

Word family

pyramidal adjective
shaped like a pyramid
pyramidical adjective
another form meaning shaped like a pyramid
pyramiding noun
building up gains or debts in layers, often in finance

Commonly confused: pyramid or pyramid scheme?

pyramid vs pyramid scheme

A pyramid scheme is illegal because it depends on recruits, while a legitimate multi-level business sells real products; the two are often mixed up.

Practice

A scheme that pays old members using fees from new recruits is called a pyramid ___.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pyramid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words