climb

[ klahym ]

verb (used without object)

1. to go up or ascend, especially by using the hands and feet or feet only:

   She climbed up the ladder.

   Antonyms: descend

2. to rise slowly by or as if by continued effort:

   The car climbed laboriously to the top of the mountain.

3. to ascend or rise:

   The plane climbed rapidly and we were soon at 35,000 feet.

   Temperatures climbed into the 80s yesterday.

4. to slope upward:

   The road climbs steeply up to the house.

5. (of a plant) to ascend by twining or by means of tendrils, adhesive tissues, etc.:

   The ivy climbed to the roof.

6. to proceed or move by using the hands and feet, especially on an elevated place; crawl:

   to climb along a branch;

   to climb around on the roof.

7. to ascend in prominence, fortune, etc.:

   From lowly beginnings he climbed to the highest office in the land.

verb (used with object)

1. to ascend, go up, or get to the top of, especially by the use of the hands and feet or feet alone or by continuous or strenuous effort:

   to climb a rope;

   to climb the stairs;

   to climb a mountain.

   Antonyms: descend

2. to go to the top of and over:

   The prisoners climbed the wall and escaped.

noun

1. a climbing; an ascent by climbing:

   It was a long climb to the top of the hill.

   Antonyms: descent

2. a place to be climbed:

   That peak is quite a climb.

verb phrase

1. 1. to descend, especially by using both hands and feet:

      She climbed down from the treehouse and went to wash up for supper.

   2. Chiefly British. to retreat from a policy, opinion, position in a debate, etc.:

      He climbed down from that argument once he saw that it was based on incorrect data.

2. Slang. to become tense or frantic:

   After a week stuck inside the house, the kids were climbing the walls.

climb

/ klaɪm /

verb

1. also troften foll byup to go up or ascend (stairs, a mountain, etc)
2. often foll by along to progress with difficulty

   to climb along a ledge

3. to rise to a higher point or intensity

   the temperature climbed

4. to incline or slope upwards

   the road began to climb

5. to ascend in social position
6. (of plants) to grow upwards by twining, using tendrils or suckers, etc
7. informal.
   foll by into to put (on) or get (into)
8. to be a climber or mountaineer

noun

1. the act or an instance of climbing
2. a place or thing to be climbed, esp a route in mountaineering

Derived Forms

• ˈclimbable, adjective

Other Words From

• climb·a·ble adjective
• half-climb·ing adjective
• non·climb·a·ble adjective
• non·climb·ing adjective
• re·climb verb (used with object) reclimbed reclimbing
• un·climb·a·ble adjective
• un·climbed adjective
• un·climb·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of climb¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English climben, Old English climban; cognate with Dutch, German klimmen; akin to clamber

Word History and Origins

Origin of climb¹

Old English climban; related to Old Norse klembra to squeeze, Old High German climban to clamber

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Ms Roberts, who worked at an indoor climbing centre in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, started a relationship with Mr Stockton in January 2023.

From BBC

As the Democrats try to climb over a continually lower bar with no success, the rest of us should remember that.

From Salon

A young man climbed on to the mound of rubble.

From BBC

At least they did once the water had receded sufficiently for them to climb down from trees and clamber off their cars and try to re-orientate themselves.

From BBC

The number of U-Visas, which provide protections to immigrants who are victims of crimes, sponsored by the department also climbed during his tenure.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ascend
• clamber
• go up
• mount
• rise
• scale
• soar
• top