A human pyramid is an acrobatic formation of three or more people in which two or more people support a tier of higher people, who in turn may support other, higher tiers of people. People above the bottom tier may kneel or stand on the shoulders, backs or thighs of the people below them. Typically, the number of people in each tier is one greater than the tier immediately above it, resulting in a triangular structure reminiscent of the formation's namesake.
For practical reasons, lighter people are often positioned higher in the formation and stronger, heavier people are located closer to the base. Human pyramids are performed in various activities, including cheerleading and in circus acrobatics.