beautiful mountain; magnificent peak
A somewhat literary or poetic term for a mountain of outstanding beauty or grandeur. Often used in travel writing, poetry, or formal descriptions.
富士山は日本の秀峰の一つだ。
Mount Fuji is one of Japan's magnificent peaks.
This painting depicts the beautiful mountains of the Alps.
Compound of 秀 (しゅう, 'excellent, surpassingly beautiful') and 峰 (ほう, 'peak, summit'). The reading is on'yomi. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common Sino-Japanese pattern for describing natural features.