Height is how tall something is, measured from its bottom to its top. Your height is the distance from the floor to the top of your head when you stand up straight. A building's height is measured from the ground to its highest point, whether that's the roof or an antenna on top.

People measure height in different ways depending on what they're measuring. You might use inches or feet for a person's height, but meters or even miles for a mountain's height. Mount Everest reaches a height of 29,032 feet, making it the tallest mountain on Earth.

The word can also describe the peak or most intense moment of something. During the height of summer, the days are longest and hottest. At the height of a thunderstorm, the rain pours down hardest and the thunder booms loudest. A basketball player jumping for a rebound reaches the height of her jump just before gravity pulls her back down.

When something reaches new heights, it achieves more than ever before. A student who studies diligently might reach new heights in their understanding of mathematics, going beyond what they thought possible.