Origin: before 1000; Middle English climben, Old English climban; cognate with
Dutch, German klimmen; akin to
clamber Related forms climb·a·ble, adjective
half-climb·ing, adjective
non·climb·a·ble, adjective
non·climb·ing, adjective
re·climb, verb (used with object), re·climbed, re·climb·ing.
un·climb·a·ble, adjective
un·climbed, adjective
un·climb·ing, adjective
Can be confused: climb, clime (see synonym study at the current entry).
Synonyms
8. Climb, ascend, mount, scale imply a moving upward. To climb is to make one's way upward, often with effort: to climb a mountain. Ascend in its literal meaning (“to go up”), is general, but it now usually suggests a gradual or stately movement, with or without effort, often to a considerable degree of altitude: to ascend the heights; to ascend the Himalayas. Mount may be interchangeable with ascend but also suggests climbing on top of or astride of: to mount a platform, a horse. Scale a more literary word, implies difficult or hazardous climbing up or over something: to scale a summit.
Antonyms
1, 8. descend. 10. descent.