climb Hear it!

climb Definition

climb (klīm)

intransitive verb, transitive verb climbed, climb′·ing

  1. to go up by using the feet and, often, the hands
  2. to rise or ascend gradually to a higher point; mount
  3. to move (down, over, along, etc.), using the hands and feet
  4. ☆ to get (into or out of clothes or a piece of clothing) hastily, perfunctorily, etc.
  5. Bot. to grow upward on (a wall, trellis, etc.) by winding around or adhering with tendrils

Etymology: ME climben < OE climban < IE *glembh- (> clamber, clump) < base *gel-, to make round, clench, as the fist: basic sense, “to cling to, grip”

noun

  1. an act or instance of climbing; rise; ascent
  2. a thing or place to be climbed

climb Related Forms

climb′·able adjective

climb Synonyms

climb

n.

  1. The act of climbing

    climbing, clamber, mounting, ascent; see rise 1.

  2. An ascending place

    slope, incline, rise; see grade 1, hill.

climb Synonyms

climb

v.

  1. To ascend

    go up, soar, escalate, slope; see rise 1.

  2. To mount

    scale, work one's way up, ascend gradually, scramble up, clamber up, shin up, swarm up, start up, go up, ascend, go on board, labor up, struggle up, get on, climb on, progress upward, rise, rise hand over hand, creep up, twine up, crawl up, strive up, escalade, surmount, soar up, shinny up, scrabble up, shoot up.

climb Usage Examples

Object

  • ladder: She was then made to climb a ladder draped in black cloth, whilst the hangman climbed a ladder beside her.
  • stair: Visitors face two steps up to the front door; they must climb more stairs from the vestibule to the Exhibition Hall.
  • Everest: Their aim is now to be the youngest Britons to climb Everest.
  • stile: Climb the next stile onto the narrow track, Scar House Lane.
  • mountain: Everest climbers do not climb the mountain for the sake of the view.
  • wall: Climb the wall in the line of a small tree just below the top.

Preposition: on

bandwagon: It was back in May last year that news leaked out that Hollywood was going to climb on the crop circle bandwagon.

Preposition: over

  • stile: To get to the station, follow the track down to the road and climb over the metal stile.
  • fence: I climbed over the iron fence and - joy - was running on grass.

Adjective modifier

  • steep: The moderate steep climb up to valley to the top of Glen Coe goes through the most dramatic alpine scenery in Scotland.
  • dizzying: Telling groups there could only afford dizzying climb in.
  • 2m: Description: Boulders were removed from the entrance to facilitate entry to a 2m free climb down past unstable boulder to a tight rift.
  • steady: Terrain: Mainly easy with a long steady climb up from Cressbrook Mill.
  • 5m: Description: A tricky 5m free climb ( best laddered ) lands in a small chamber with two ways on.
  • uphill: Good visual design is definitely less of an uphill climb as is coming up with ideas.

Adjective complement

  • uphill: North of Detling, the road then rejoins its original route, albeit dualled, climbs slowly uphill, still on a 50 limit.
  • greasy: That's why you climb greasy SERP pole, after all.

Modifies a noun

Everest: People do climb Everest because it is there, but not everyone chooses to do so.

Particle object:

ladder: So I decided to climb up the ladder to see how the work was going.

Noun used with modifier

hill: Photo © Dale Cordingley Walk the course Do walk the hill climb course to see where it goes.

Browse dictionary entries near climb

  1. ‹ climax
  2. ‹ climatology
  3. ‹ climate
  4. ‹ climactic
  5. ‹ climacteric
  6. ‹ Clifton
  7. ‹ Clifford
  8. ‹ cliffhanger
  9. ‹ cliff swallow
  10. ‹ cliff dweller
  1. climb down ›
  2. climber ›
  3. climbing iron ›
  4. climbing perch ›
  5. clime ›
  6. clin- ›
  7. clinch ›
  8. clincher ›
  9. cline ›
  10. cling ›