🇬🇧 Cusp meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

“Cusp” is a word we use for the edge or border between two very different things, especially when something is just about to change. If you are standing in a doorway, you’re on the cusp between inside and outside. If you’re almost ten years old, you’re on the cusp between being a little kid and being older. It’s that special in‑between place where one thing is ending and another is just beginning.

I’m on the cusp of greatness every time I try to flip a pancake—and usually end up flipping it onto the floor.

I was on the cusp of cleaning my room, but then I tripped over the mess and took that as a sign to lie down instead.

Grandpa said he was on the cusp of a nap, which is grandparent language for “already snoring.”

I was on the cusp of answering the question correctly when my friend sneezed loud enough to erase my thoughts.

My hair is always on the cusp between “stylish” and “a bird might live in there.”

At the cliff's cusp she stood, toes on the cusp where land and sky seemed to meet. The cusp of dawn hovered, a thin light at the cusp of night and day. Her breath hitched; fear and hope leaned at the same cusp. She stepped back, then laughed, choosing the safe path home.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

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