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Synonyms

mountain

American  
[moun-tn] / ˈmaʊn tn /

noun

  1. a natural elevation of the earth's surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit, and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2,000 feet (610 meters).

  2. a large mass of something resembling this, as in shape or size.

  3. a huge amount.

    a mountain of incoming mail.

  4. (initial capital letter) a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.

  5. Also called mountain wine.  British Archaic. a sweet Malaga wine.

adjective

  1. of or relating to mountains.

    mountain air.

  2. living, growing, or located in the mountains.

    mountain people.

  3. resembling or suggesting a mountain, as in size.

idioms

  1. make a mountain out of a molehill. molehill.

Mountain 1 British  
/ ˈmaʊntɪn /

noun

  1. an extremist faction during the French Revolution led by Danton and Robespierre

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mountain 2 British  
/ ˈmaʊntɪn /

noun

    1. a natural upward projection of the earth's surface, higher and steeper than a hill and often having a rocky summit

    2. ( as modifier )

      mountain people

      mountain scenery

    3. ( in combination )

      a mountaintop

  2. a huge heap or mass

    a mountain of papers

  3. anything of great quantity or size

  4. a surplus of a commodity, esp in the European Union

    the butter mountain

  5. informal a serious or considerable difficulty or obstruction to overcome

  6. See molehill

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mountain Scientific  
/ moun′tən /

  1. A generally massive and usually steep-sided, raised portion of the Earth's surface. Mountains can occur as single peaks or as part of a long chain. They can form through volcanic activity, by erosion, or by uplift of the continental crust when two tectonic plates collide. The Himalayas, which are the highest mountains in the world, were formed when the plate carrying the landmass of India collided with the plate carrying the landmass of China.

mountain More Idioms  

  1. see if the mountain won't come to Muhammad; make a mountain out of a molehill.

Other Word Forms

  • mountainless adjective
  • submountain adjective
  • undermountain noun

Etymology

Origin of mountain

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English mountaine, from Old French montaigne, from Vulgar Latin montānea (unrecorded), noun use of feminine of montāneus (unrecorded), from Latin montān(us) “mountainous” (from mont-, stem of mōns “hill, mountain” + -ānus -an ) + -eus, adjective suffix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On Instagram, Petrović describes himself as a "mountain rescue" expert and "guide", whose motto is not to "dream your life", but to "live your dream".

From BBC

Thomas P was accused of failing to turn back or call for help in time after he left his girlfriend and reached the summit of the mountain.

From BBC

The patrollers, responsible for safety on one of the nation’s steepest ski mountains, demanded more pay, arguing that Telluride’s high cost of living forced many to work multiple jobs and make long commutes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Having driven up to Llyn Teifi in the Cambrian mountains, we stand on a bridge, surrounded by rocky outcrops and marshland.

From BBC

There are 130 monitoring stations across the Sierra Nevada mountains that provide electronic readings.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.