mountain

noun

moun·​tain ˈmau̇n-tᵊn 

often attributive

1

a

: a landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill

The sun set behind the mountains.

b

: an elongated ridge

2

a

: a great mass

a mountain of a man

—E. K. Brown

b

: a vast number or quantity

a mountain of mail

a mountain of debt

Synonyms

• alp
• hump
• mount
• peak

Examples of mountain in a Sentence

She watched the sun set behind the mountains.

a cabin in the mountains

They both like mountain climbing.

We've received a mountain of mail.

Recent Examples on the Web

Great shows are all over From pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter to a mountain of an opera (literally) to a festival devoted to Leonard Cohen, there are a ton of great shows to catch in the Bay Area this weekend. —Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

The bigger issue is Johnson, who once upon a time was such a promising leading actor, a mountain of a man capable of embodying unexpected vulnerability. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024

The mountain, which is on the Ikon Pass, also boasts more than 340 inches of snow each year thanks to its base elevation of 9,000 feet and more than 3,000 feet vertical. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024

Bringing all of the components together in the edit was a massive task, made all the more difficult by the need to rewatch a mountain of footage with, if not fresh eyes, a fresh perspective. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English montaine, monteine, mounteyne, borrowed from Anglo-French muntaine, monteigne, mountaigne "elevated region, mountain range, mountain" (also continental Old French, Middle French montagne), going back to Vulgar Latin *montānea, from Latin mont-, mons "mountain, hill" + Vulgar Latin *-ānea, collective suffix, from neuter plural of Latin -āneus (from -ānus -an entry 2 + -eus -eous) — more at mount entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing mountain

• acute mountain sickness
• American mountain ash
• Bernese mountain dog
• cat-a-mountain
• European mountain ash
• make a mountain out of a molehill
• mountain ash
• mountain bicycle
• mountain bike
• mountain biking
• mountain bluebird
• mountain chain
• mountain coati
• mountain cranberry
• mountain dew
• mountain goat
• mountain gorilla
• mountain laurel
• mountain lion
• mountain mahogany
• mountain man
• mountain sheep
• mountain sickness
• mountain time
• snow-on-the-mountain
• Welsh mountain pony

Kids Definition

mountain

noun

moun·​tain ˈmau̇nt-ᵊn 

1

: an elevation higher than a hill

2

: a great mass or huge number

a mountain of mail